Statement
Objects carry with them symbolism and meaning about culture and historicity. In my work I am interested in objects that relay between nostalgia and futurity, and how this contradiction resonates personally and at a wider social scale. By pairing borrowed iconographies from various mediums, I create slippage between feelings of recollection and aspiration, exploring intricacies about the human mind and past.
My practice is invested in craft and the mastery of technical skills that can only be achieved through persistence. Time is a key theme in my practice, addressing both the time-consuming production of delicate objects as well as their contextual histories. With the goal of reclaiming the artistic merit of skilled, laborious artistic methods, I try to bridge and explore the interstices between arts and crafts techniques. This is a move to survey labor-intensive practices that challenge notions of productivity and propose a reconsideration of value in relation to usefulness and skill. Most specifically, I focus on an exploration of the labor-heavy nature of fiber and ceramic practices as an opportunity for introspection and appreciation of the complex beauty of kitsch. All this is underscored by a concern about the pressure put towards a seemingly ever-increasing demand for profitability and prestige of occupation. Ultimately, my work is rooted in the conviction that a higher cultural regard for craft labor in the arts will support the greater appreciation of all types of labor.
