Artist Statement

BONES

I am inspired by the intense beauty and simplicity of bones. My work begins with sleuthing for sun-bleached bones in the desert. The found bones are taken into my studio and mounted on a backdrop of fractured mirror, glass, and shells into a 3D sculptural wall hanging. The whole is cohesively joined in a shimmering aura of reflective beauty. I have found that this shining matrix can unearth qualities that awaken facets of our latent and vast selves.

Bones are the elemental structure of every vertebrate on Earth. They are the foundational blocks of our bodies for the duration of our lifetimes, and are the last remnants of our physical selves after we die. They anchor us in the physical world and are symbolic of the entwined death and rebirth cycle. It is my hope that the raw power of the bones and the reflective quality of mirror can transport the viewer into the realization of our miraculous existence.


MASKS

Imbued with images of my African childhood, I grew up enraptured by the power of the mask. Eliciting profound and provocative stirrings, masks are archetypes of human existence and offer a synergy of power and beauty that piques the recesses of our deepest yearnings and fears. Masks embody our collective human consciousness and as inanimate objects, they possess the power to guide us and catalyze our imagination and our potential.

My three-dimensional wall sculptures are inspired by masks I procure from traders while on my African sojourns. From these traders I glean the significance and intention of each mask, and integrate this with my own personal knowledge and research. Ultimately, the innate essence of the mask speaks to me. Piece by piece, combining fragments of mirror and natural elements, the whole is cohesively joined in a shimmering aura of reflective beauty. This shining matrix unearths qualities that can awaken facets of our latent and vast selves.

One commonly held belief is that masks help us communicate with the spirit realm. This intangible channel opens spontaneously while I work; I am also guided in each creation by two eternal spirit-friends: one is intrigued by the symbolism of mirrors, the other captivated with the arrangement of color and shape.

Unless adorning someone, the mask is dead. Likewise, a mask upon the wall is lifeless. Enhancing it within a web of reflective light begets Shamanic qualities into an object of beauty that informs our ever-evolving human heart.