Life is a beautiful, and yet fragile, thing that is full of stunning complexities. As human beings, we are incredibly resilient both physically and emotionally. Yet at the same time, life as we know it can be altered so quickly. These thoughts and considerations are what drive my artwork. There have been numerous illnesses amongst my family members that were life threatening, resulting in organ transplants, drastic treatments and therapies, deaths, and immense heartache. Each event has shaped my appreciation of life. I learned at a young age how important it is to be aware of our bodies, our health, and what we can do for others, which is why so much of my work revolves around understanding the gifts, delicacy and intangible beauty of the human body, as well as life.

              My materials and process are crucial to the perception of my work. I remove the subjects that I work with, such as the body, from the traditional context that it is read in, often removing color in order to objectify and conceptualize my work. Although I work in a variety of media, the most important aspect to my art is the scale; all of my work is life-sized. Whether I am making three-dimensional glass shells of the vital human organs or creating two-dimensional charcoal pencil drawings of organs, dimensions are exact. My work is precise and planned in detail before the physical making of it even begins.  When one can physically touch or see things of this nature, at the scale which they exist naturally, it makes it easier to comprehend. For example, when I hold a delicate, durable glass kidney in the palm of my hand it makes it easier for me to understand what exactly is inside of me and that my own kidneys are even stronger and more fragile than the glass representation.

              There are many of my contemporaries, like Anne Mondro and Anne Wolfe, whose work deals with the body as well, however none of our experiences are exactly the same, and therefore our work is not the same. Our experiences allow us to be strong, fragile, and feel so many things which we don’t understand; I strive to confront these intricacies of life and the human body.