What inspires your artwork? Are there certain themes or subjects that consistently appear in your pieces?
Lately, I have been inspired by the concept of “home” and what it can be considered. Is it the people who raised you or the house you live in currently? Or the place you grew up? I have previously viewed it as the house I was raised in Canada and the people around me. The home I grew up in wasn’t always the most pleasant place, I grew up with a disability and alcoholism was rampant in the house. But over time I decided home can be more than just the place you were raised. I felt the urge to leave and find new places and people to call “home.” I’m not sure where my home is right now, and while creating my most recent works I am reflecting on that place that once was “home.” I remember the 80’s style of furniture, the carpets, the off-white walls, the flower-patterned sheets and these elements are sneaking themselves into my paintings and prints. I’m curious to re-evaluate my memories and reflect on the relationships I had with the place I’m from. I heard once “To know one’s folklore is to know oneself.” I realized I didn’t have a folklore, my family has been divorced from cultural traditions, and creating my works I’m slowly creating my own story, my folklore, and defining what “home” means to me.
Could you describe your creative process? How do you approach the development and execution of your artworks?
-I keep a sketchbook that I’ll regularly draw in. Usually, it consists of a lot of doodles and sometimes I’ll draft and break down how to implement certain projects. I do quite a bit of writing in them as well, working out the concepts and themes. To transform my sketches into paintings I’ll sometimes project the drawing onto the canvas or just free-hand the drawing onto a canvas or surface. Even though I start with a sketch and have a plan of sorts beforehand I like to let the piece flow naturally. Adding elements where it feels organic and natural. I’ll usually figure out the colours as I go. Sometimes it's straightforward and I know what colours and visuals I’ll be using, but sometimes it can take me a long time and I’ll redo work over and over. My works also consist of a lot of printmaking, usually relief print or silkscreens of textures natural elements, or patterns. So, I am continuously printing to use in paintings. I want to make sure I always have enough to paste in if I feel a certain texture or print needs to go in.
What mediums do you primarily work with, and what draws you to these specific materials or techniques?
-My background is in printmaking, and I am really drawn to relief print and silkscreen, they are the most accessible printmaking style for me, and I want to immortalize my drawing lines and printmaking lets me do that. I also paint mostly with acrylics and spray paints. For paints I love how graphic and bold the colours I can get with acrylic and spray paints; it may be the printmaker in me. I think and build my paintings with a printmaking mindset, sectioning, and layering elements together.
Are there any notable artists or art movements that have influenced your artistic style? How do you incorporate those influences into your work?
I’m really into Abstract comics, it’s a movement that started roughly in the early 90’s where comics focused on narrative elements like time, movement, color etc. Artists like Tiger Tateishi and Killoffer. I consider each one of my works as a panel in an overarching comic. There’s no ongoing narrative but a cumulative story or theme.
What are your aspirations as an artist? Do you have any upcoming projects or exhibitions that we should be excited about?
I’m currently an artist in residence with Glogauair until the end of March and have the open studios on the 22nd and 23rd of March 2024 to look forward to. I took some time off from applying to a lot of things to focus on the residency, but I am always applying for exhibitions and shows. I’m looking to show more in Berlin and other parts of Europe. Of course, also applying for events and opportunities in Canada.
