Artists Statement

I am from San Jose, California. This informs my work, as I like to focus on California wildlife when I choose to draw plants and animals. I come from a large family, with a lot of cousins on both my parent's sides. I adore all of them, and I love sharing my work with my family. I am adopted, and I deal with the grief of being separated from my biological family on a daily basis. I am sure this informs my work in ways that I will never fully understand. My parents are both very loving people, and have supported my dreams to become an artist since I was a child. I am motivated to work because my work helps me connect to myself, and find the joy of living. When I am creating, I tend to get lost in thinking about my life, myself, and the choices I make. Especially when making geometric patterns, I enter a meditative and reflective state. I depict people, animals, and places that I love. I think that my work is unique because I combine bright colors, living forms, and abstraction. I am inspired by feminism, my queer identity, my racial identity, children's media, forms from nature, the sea, and simple shapes. I love sea creatures and nature.