Core Philosophies
​
Abstract Art as a Human Necessity
In a society drowning in data, I believe abstract art serves as an essential counterpoint. Standardization is an algorithm’s ideal; uniqueness is the organic truth. Abstract art purposefully disrupts our automated perception by offering no easy answers, forcing the brain to halt its habitual "meaning making" process. This ambiguity compels the viewer to engage in an act of creation, synthesizing meaning through their own imagination and identity. In this personal response, we reclaim our humanity.
​
The Raw and the Instinctive
The raw quality of my work intentionally mirrors the instinctive truth of human emotion—a primal nature often suppressed by social conventions. When we acknowledge this inherent rawness, we recognize our place within the broader natural world. This realization moves us past the delusion of human mastery; we are not above nature but intrinsically intertwined with it. Embracing our own "unprocessed" instincts is the first step toward cherishing our environment.
​
Ambiguous Loss as an Educator
Ambiguous Loss offers a difficult but profound emotional lesson. It creates a space where the linear path to closure is disrupted, encouraging us to question rigid social expectations that pressure us to "move on." Resilience emerges not from ending grief, but from creating meaning and actively choosing to sustain the memory of those who are absent.
​
From Nature, Back to Nature
I am troubled by a "throwaway society" that relentlessly values mastery and productivity, often treating old age and death as failures. My art stands in direct contrast to consumerism; the completion of a sculpture is not an end product, but the beginning of a new journey—an artifact meant to endure and decay naturally.
Inspired by the restorative impact of nature on my own mental health, I strive to create works that are both visually arresting and environmentally sound.
​
Process: Kneading, Foraging, and Bricolage
I trace my first connection to sculpture to the kitchen, watching my mother bake. The nurturing ritual of mixing and kneading dough remains central to my work. My practice is further rooted in bricolage—a technique of assembly and repair passed down through generations. By layering disparate fragments and foraged items imbued with history, I create forms that resist easy definition, inviting the viewer to step into their own world of memory and resonance.
​
Key Terms
-
Ambiguity of Human Nature: The paradox of being simultaneously free to choose a path yet bound by biological and social limitations.
-
The Myth of Closure: The psychological understanding that grief is not linear and does not have a definitive end point.
-
Ambiguous Loss: 'A loss that remains unclear, such as a loved one who is physically absent but psychologically present (missing), or physically present but psychologically absent (dementia)' (Boss 2006, p. 4).
-
Social Ambiguous Loss: A modern state of trauma experienced when "cancel culture" or social ostracization denies an individual a clear path to redemption or resolution.
Research & Influence
Boss, P. (2006). Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss. W. W. Norton & Company
Schulze, J. (1994). Non-finito: Sculpture and the Unfinished. British Museum Press.