← Return to From Afar: 2020 Senior Art Exhibition
My artistic expression blends with my evolving studies in art therapy practices. Inspiration for my work often comes from the cycle of breakage and healing that people experience in life. Sometimes it is a small sensation, like a branch being broken, but other times it is a complete uprooting. My own triumph over pain, as well as the beauty I have found in watching the journeys of others, is deeply embedded in my artwork. I address issues such as mental health, safety, identity, and empowerment. My studies have paved the way for an exploration of figurative representations of pain and sympathy. Imbuing figures with slightly human-like qualities helps evoke empathy within the viewer, who will automatically try to situate themselves in relation to the figure. For example, the struggle of a tree in the desert generates a feeling of familiarity in the viewer, who might relate what they see to their own emotional pain or a difficult life experience. I create this work in order to nurture the growth of my own heart so that I can better understand the hearts of others. By evolving in compassion, humanity is gently nudged back toward its center.