Artist Statement

Each and every artist’s imagination is many things; simple, unique, bizarre, wholesome, disturbing, you name it. Many factors affect our imaginations as well. Factors can be as simple as watching cartoons, listening to music, and reading books. They can also be personal experiences with mental health challenges, toxic people, identity crises, school, or work issues, or to top it all, living in an infectious apocalypse. However, there are positive factors that I hold dear, and they strengthen my imagination. From entering the beautifully gothic, dark, strange, and child-like world of Tim Burton, soaring into the diverse superhero realm of Stan Lee, and diving into the uniquely gorgeous intensity that is Japanese anime. Most of my works present themes such as finding the beauty in solitude, longing for mutual understanding and acceptance, the repercussions of anger, and the cynicism of human error, and the power of individuality and self-expression. All in the form of stylized characters and monsters.  

I incorporated supernatural monsters into my works to symbolize an external crisis in the face of humanity and the internal crisis of self. The monsters can be threatening, but they are misunderstood beings longing for healing and acceptance. The characters that I created were not only inspired but are treated as their own individual persons; some are angsty and serious while some are fun, lively, and chaotic. Quite frankly, I'd rather much hang out with them!

Whether I'm drawing, painting, or carving out blocks, various techniques can pose as a challenge to the visual outcome of my work and to my mental well-being. They reflect my determination to create a flawless piece, but as I was told once, "perfection is an illusion". Thus, I apply that quote to my work and to myself. I learned to seek the joy of creating art rather than stress over perfection. If my artworks have a mind of their own, they can care less what others think. The usage of the color black in most of my art emphasizes the boldness, intensity of emotions, and a mysterious aura. The way I use black is to represent my independence, boldness, and determination to create and tell stories on my own accord and show comfort in who I am.