Artist Statement

I am the only person who has been with me every second of every day, and you are the only person who has been with you every second of every day, yet I guarantee that we have something in common. By nature, we are collective individuals with more similarities than differences. My work highlights the importance of our uniqueness while providing comfort in the commonalities we share.

Our unique experiences are often what connect us to each other and to ourselves. It is a universal experience to wish for self distinction while craving to be understood by others. My work balances individuality and commonality through self disclosure of stories from my life. The process of painting is a constant push and pull of pigments. A painting is made of thousands of strokes of paint to compile a complete image, as we are a compilation of thousands of experiences that have pushed and pulled us into the people we are. My paintings are the bridge between me and you. They are my formation stories to remind you of yours. They leave the door open for us to converse on universal topics of friendship, childhood, travels, and emotions, while leaving room for and celebrating our differences. 

Jouard 1969, a communication theorist, first explained that self-disclosure is more effective when it is reciprocated and encourages liking among humans: “As with other types of human mimicry, the reciprocity of self-disclosure improves coordination and increases liking among people in the exchange.” I am taking the first step to open the door between us to connect through our individuality. We do not exist within the vacuum of society alone, we are neighbours; we are siblings; we are humans.