Working predominantly with sculpture, fiber, and works on paper, I take my inspiration from everyday surroundings, mundane moments, and discarded materials. I manipulate uncommon mediums and subject matter in such a way as to create pieces that, despite their rudimentary origins, appear mysterious and difficult to categorize. Central to my work is an interest in commonly held perceptions of beauty, nostalgia, and waste, and questions concerning what we as humans find valuable.

Initially this exploration developed in a body of work entitled Seaweavings. Captivated by the tactile qualities of seaweed and the stories of the Victorian women who collected it, I gathered the plant from local beaches and then experimented with different chemical and physical treatments in order to preserve their malleability and luminosity. I then attempted, through the processes available to me, to recreate the beauty I had observed upon my initial discovery of the plants in their natural environment.

Another series, A･BOD･E, is a group of abstract sculptures inspired by household objects, vegetation, and the body. Each is made by repeatedly building up and sanding down thin layers of papier-mâché, comprised mainly of toilet paper. While relatively simple, each piece requires obsessive attention to transform its surface to a ceramic-like finish. With sufficient time and repetition, a nostalgic and familiar medium mutates into something enigmatic and foreign; the finished pieces are reminiscent of well-worn fossils or bizarre artifacts from an ancient civilization.

My most recent work is a collection of detailed graphite drawings depicting yard waste bins filled with discarded plants. Initially intrigued by the sculptural forms and unique personalities of the bins, I soon experienced them as a metaphor for our human relationship to the natural world. Some, exploding with leaves and branches, highlight the futility of trying to contain nature within man-made confines. Others, lids shut tightly with only a few leaves peaking out, present a muffled surrender to human intervention.

Whether through large scale tapestries of woven seaweed, abstract papier-mâché sculptures constructed out of toilet paper, or meticulous drawings of yard waste bins overflowing with plant clippings, my work depicts the unexpected beauty and humor found in the messy leftovers of life. The resulting works are a transplanted approximation of natural beauty limited by the realities of an unnatural environment. 

I am a California based artist who moves between Ojai, CA and Los Angeles. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and History from Yale University in 2008 and received my MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2018. I have participated in group shows in NYC, Glasgow, Los Angeles, and the Yucca Valley, as well as more recent solo exhibitions in Ventura and Santa Barbara, CA. When not focusing on my own studio work, I organize community-based art events and work as a textile designer.