Dismembered and sometimes bruised looking, the figures in my paintings exhibit a disconnection between body and mind. Through enveloping expanses of color and mesmerizing maximalist patterns, there’s a simultaneous feeling of confinement and comfort. Much like my own personality, there’s a playfulness at the surface. However, beneath the story of each piece is a bit of darkness. The vibrancy of the colors and enigmatic expressions of my subjects create an intriguing juxtaposition. With bright, organic shapes and slivers of figures abstractly flirting in negative space, I’ve begun to develop visual stories in collage.

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When I create, I work to satisfy the eye of a graphic designer. I draw on personal experiences in which contradictions were central; the somewhat garish, sunlit quality of 80’s & 90’s Florida mixed with the experience of having a mobster father who instilled a clear sense of fear in me from youth. I enjoy playing with the way the eye mixes color on the canvas and the brain assigns value to negative space. Influenced by the places I lived: the vibrancy of Art Deco Miami, Neon Graveyard Vegas and Barefoot Luxury Ibiza, there’s an unlikely marriage which challenges the viewer to look beyond whimsical colors to find deeper undertones in each figure’s expression. When I step back from my work, I realize that the person that I’m painting is replaced by a self-projection.

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I view my process as one that is intuitive with each piece contributing as an evolution. Painting in acrylic permits methodic and expressive layering. Utilizing a limited palette, I balance colors instinctively, alternating between opaque paints and layers of matte glazes to create depth. I’m drawn to figures whose unspoken body language may have gone unnoticed - sometimes purposely avoiding the viewers’ gaze, other times staring back in silent defiance.

 

My collages begin by layering spray paint, marker, and acrylic on different papers. As I draw, patterns and faces emerge. I cut around pieces loosely and refine them as I place them on the canvas; a process where I find freedom. These works investigate the demolition of all one self-identifies with in order to reconstruct a new sense of individuality where the narrative shifts to healing.