My artworks center around dollhouse themes that symbolize the complexities of social dynamics, human dramas, embedded cultural and gender constructs, and at times, even traumatic experiences within the concept of the home. I present these themes on a surface that reflects my love of nonobjective and abstract markings along with the use of symbols and text. 

​

As individuals, we are all shaped by our childhood experiences. The cultural influences of the 60s, 70s, and 80s resonate deeply with me as an adult. The intense impact they had on me as a child, teenager, and young adult fuels my fascination with the gender roles prevalent during those eras. I was acutely aware of societal expectations regarding femininity and masculinity. Being constantly reminded to "act like a lady" while "boys will be boys" left a lasting impression on me. As a child, I witnessed firsthand the complexities and dramas of the adult world. While the prevailing notion was that children should be seen and not heard, I looked up to and listened closely to the adults in my life, seeking cues on how to behave, dress, and communicate.

​

During my childhood, I often heard repeated old phrases such as "a woman's place is in the home," "a woman's work is never done," "a man's home is his castle," and "you catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar." These catchphrases, along with others like "behind every great man there is a great woman" and "it's a man's world" shaped my understanding of gender roles, work ethic, and appropriate behavior within and beyond the confines of the home. These beliefs and traumas are exposed in The House Always Wins, Knock Knock!, Coffee Klatch, Best of Luck, and Good Egg, to name a few, encapsulating the essence of these ingrained cultural and gender constructs.

​

My creative process revolves around the use of symbols, text, lines, forms, and colors, and the spontaneous interplay they create within the composition. My artworks use recognizable symbolic elements along with abstract lines, shapes, and markings. The marriage of these two incongruent concepts: being the good girl who seeks to please and conform versus being the adult who calls out these absurdities with irreverence and complete freedom from having to perform, please, and seek approval creates its own sense of dramatic tension. While the symbols evoke nostalgia for the pop culture of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s, I believe all of these symbols themselves transcend time. 

​

​

​