Featured Work
DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER
This installation is a play on a liminal space and a cocoon. In the pandemic, I discovered that the back wall of my closet is a walled-in doorway, separating my apartment from my neighbor’s unit. In a gesture to how the space has changed over time and reflecting on how other historic homes in Washington, D.C. were altered, as well as the people who lived there, I created an intimate, transportive piece that invites the eye and mind to wander. The wallpapered closet is exuberant and functional. It celebrates getting dressed, which like the making of this project, is an act of assembling and presenting your Self.
MISCHIEF
Mischief is a collection developed for a hospitality concept in Williamsport, Maryland—a town on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal. The work celebrates the “river rat,” a derogatory term reclaimed by the residents, and the canal mule, which was historically vital for pulling the boats along the region’s waterways—and often female. Featured in reimagined portraits of kings, queens, and pioneering artists, the rat and the mule are whimsical reflections on how perceptions of individuals change throughout history and our contemporary moment.
Paper Ginger Jar
Paper Ginger Jar is constructed from a 2-dimensional blue and white design, comprised of individual watercolor paintings that are a play on familiar motifs in Chinoiserie and Chinese porcelain. In my version, these are re-imagined with native birds, like orioles and cardinals, flowers from a local garden, and scenes of the four seasons with references to the Washington, D.C. region. These scenes depict: A group of children playing on a snow day, a lakeside view of the Washington County Art Museum in the springtime, a summer boat outing along the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal, and a Mid-Autumn Festival dragon dance beneath twinkling lanterns and a full moon. A red seal, which traditionally is used as a signature marking the artist’s work, imprints my name in Chinese characters.
DREAMS
Dreams is a series of collages that use lyrical combinations of paper cutouts—recycling images of artwork from a 2020 calendar, cartoons, and photos from magazines from the same year—to create an oneiric effect. The shapes flow into one another, invoking different references and mini narratives for each viewer. As the eye roves over details, the presence of my hand can be felt in the cut edges and the arrangement within the works.
UNTITLED
In this work, I use dynamic applications of paint to explore the intersection between painting, calligraphy, and mark-making. The work reflects the emotive and kinetic possibilities in overlapping spontaneous brushwork and applying vivid colors. The varying textures are juxtaposed with areas of exposed canvas and impart a bold visual experience.