Artist's Statement
I find patterns among the threads which have been woven together to create my identity, shape my perspective, and inform my art. I find them and I lay them bare, showing that one aspect runs into another. The soil which gently envelops and nourishes the bulb of a flower-to-be is not so different from the hand-rolled wrapper of a dumpling as it cradles a heart of meats and vegetables. I relate seemingly disparate images from my everyday life—hair, bulbs, and dumplings to name a few—to demonstrate the importance of connections in a narrative otherwise defined by uprooting and resettlement.
I find it valuable to identify the foundations of my current focus in my previous work. Each piece becomes a marker in my evolution as an artist, creating a timeline of refinement and growth. Sometimes, this is limiting because it discourages exploration and experimentation, but it maintains cohesiveness throughout my body of work. Decisions such as composition and subject are determined by the pursuit of visual appeal. I take pride in the level of craft present in my work and consider it one of the most fundamental aspects of my process.
My work is based in observation and realism, often stemming from a photograph for reference. There’s a fluidity in figures and the natural growth of plants that is difficult to fabricate, and I hope to capture these gentle motions through ink. My subjects are defined by their flowing lines and rhythmic hatches as I attempt to mold amorphous concepts into a structured visual. I choose to limit color in my work because ink alone is straightforward, clear and unambiguous. I want to emphasize the weight of lines, the movement of arches and curves, the individual strokes of my pen rather than an overwhelming array of colors. The nature of ink demands that I be deliberate, but it provides a sense of permanence for subjects which may seem otherwise transient.
I find it valuable to identify the foundations of my current focus in my previous work. Each piece becomes a marker in my evolution as an artist, creating a timeline of refinement and growth. Sometimes, this is limiting because it discourages exploration and experimentation, but it maintains cohesiveness throughout my body of work. Decisions such as composition and subject are determined by the pursuit of visual appeal. I take pride in the level of craft present in my work and consider it one of the most fundamental aspects of my process.
My work is based in observation and realism, often stemming from a photograph for reference. There’s a fluidity in figures and the natural growth of plants that is difficult to fabricate, and I hope to capture these gentle motions through ink. My subjects are defined by their flowing lines and rhythmic hatches as I attempt to mold amorphous concepts into a structured visual. I choose to limit color in my work because ink alone is straightforward, clear and unambiguous. I want to emphasize the weight of lines, the movement of arches and curves, the individual strokes of my pen rather than an overwhelming array of colors. The nature of ink demands that I be deliberate, but it provides a sense of permanence for subjects which may seem otherwise transient.
