Installations
'Ethereal Retreat'
This is an abstract recreation of the last moment I had with my father. We were sitting in the living room, I grew up racing toy cars along the lines of the area rug. I was in a room that felt so familiar, but at the same time, it felt cold and empty because of the people who occupied it. I remember holding my father’s hand as we looked out the snow-covered window that held my watercolor painting I had made for him on the sill. There was an unspoken connection as we both tried to escape the room that held so much tension, as we were captivated by the abstract brushstrokes of the painting.
'My Sacrificial Home'
I’ve always felt that men in my family have held power over me. I take my power back by heightening my appearance to make them feel the discomfort I’ve felt from them my whole life. By physically opening my body up to create a waiting room-like space, I also open myself up to them. In the process of performing this piece, I became exhausted trying to make myself appear powerful, but still, create a welcoming space for the guests. It was a never-ending cycle, leading me to feel trapped and like a puppet trying to please those around me
'Chamber'
I think of Chamber as a control center for myself. It’s a room that I can always come back to recenter before exploring memories and emotions represented by the ceramic lights. The cabin is filled with wood chips, with strategic pathways that were formed after constant use to walk around to the various ceramic pendants, nurturing the plants growing within them. Because of the overall dark atmosphere, the plants cannot survive without someone constantly taking care of them. Without constantly checking in with yourself and emotions, you begin to deteriorate and lose yourself.
'Comfort Patterns'
Comfort Patterns was my first installation that I created. I spent my 2020-2021 school year creating pieces to fill a two-room red schoolhouse on the Interlochen Arts Academy campus. Each of the pieces in the space started as a mundane childhood memory that I wanted to explore further, in an attempt not to lose it as I grew up. I would examine their importance in my life when they were first created and how they continue to impact me. I romanticized my childhood while still holding bitterness and acknowledging its faults. I explored moments I didn’t know would be so important to me at the time. Using feminine and domestic imagery to allude to the expected standards placed upon me and the expression of childhood whimsy that was stolen at a young age. I don’t want to lose those memories, so I transformed them from mundane into more imaginative and impactful ideas.