Between the standards of society, broken home lives, and social scenes, the vulnerability of children is pushed to its breaking point. I’m interested in the struggles that modern children encounter as they mature. A fascination with the moments leading up to, during, and after the loss of such intimate characteristics of youth as ignorance and innocence, is what drives my work.
When I present my work I intend to attract viewers with the grandiosity of instant and intimate recognition. By referencing children and their sentimental belongings such as toys, candy, or fashion products it helps flood viewers’ minds with nostalgic relations. I utilize a variety of different materials like clay, charcoal and paint. I embrace the use of manipulation of clay to enlarge, distort, and replicate said belongings. This allows me to communicate the overbearing and heavy feelings that a child might endure while going through difficult changes: anxiety, confusion, or curiosity. The idea of trompe l’oeil replication helps engage and deceive viewers just as society misleads children. The sense of a false or overwhelming reality has helped push and transform my work metaphorically and physically.