The Cater Pillar Who Yearns To Be A Blue Jay
This show was my first solo exhibition, I made 5 oil paintings and 2 other prior works. The show’s theme is about metamorphosis and transformation. Whether that be voluntary or involuntary, It speaks to the idea of confidence and how we protect ourselves in our pride by longing to be something that is outside of our character. It's like confidence is used as a shield to protect us rather than a true belief that one is better.
I had a 2 week art residency in the south western region of rural France, in a small medieval village in the mountains. It was my first time outside of America and my first artist residency.
I made 12 watercolor paintings, enjoy!
Montcabrier, FR
“On Sundays, I Inherit My Grandmother’s Stare” The Project
I was given the opportunity to create a custom commission piece for General Motor’s new design west building. It is the largest automotive design facility in the world. I wanted to create a painting that spoke to my inner world and discoveries of emerging into adulthood whilst working in a corporate structure. I wanted the employees at GM to be reminded of all the confusing feelings about the passage into the adulthood and how splitting it could be.
This painting captures the nuanced journey of coming of age symbolized by twin like beings embarking on a road trip to visit my great grandmother’s home. The main subjects in the painting explore the idea of deciding between the 3 versions of the self and navigating identity. The blue shirt subject is structured, has a conscious approach, influenced by careful evaluation and a performance of normality, to seamlessly integrate into society. Whereas the other subject drives with no seatbelt, adorns a rat tail, and lives life by her own means. This relates to the subconscious and the chaos of our inner thoughts. The cardiovascular material draped on the green eyed subject acts as a symbol of the intense relief that engulfs you when you’re being honest with yourself; wearing “your heart on your sleeve”. The shadow individual is referring to the psychological term “shadow self”. Which are the qualities about yourself that you never reveal to anyone and repress but it always lingers as a constant reminder of denial of one’s true self. The car becomes a vessel for shared experiences of growth, while the presence of a fully mature duck and the adolescent duck mirrors the cycles of life and passing on those traditions from baby to adult. Through vibrant colors and layered symbolism, the artwork explores the interconnected themes of family, nostalgia, and passage into adulthood.
I was given the opportunity to create a custom commission piece for General Motors’ new design west building. This building is the biggest automotive design facility in the world. I wanted to create a painting centered around coming of age, identity, and integrating into a corporation whilst going through these informative times. It is a 6ft tall 9ft wide permanent installation. This piece took me a year to complete.