Artist Statement

My artwork tackles the hefty subject of body image, specifically the relationship I have with my own body and the emotions that surround that. I used to shy away from using my own body in my work because of how self-conscious I was about myself. Having people view my body as a work of art instead of a human body has been enlightening.

Having existed in the body I’m in for what feels like an eternity, I’ve learned its flaws and quirks. Using different methods within photography and printmaking, I document the flaws on my body in an effort to appreciate them more. I use screenprinting, photography, and video as a form of therapy. This allows me to heal and move on from my past experiences. I started out as a nature photographer, but found that I was keeping myself in a box. Using nature in conjunction and comparison to my body has created a conversation with myself about the beauty of the human body versus the natural world, where they intersect, and where they differ. I find that this thing I’m intimately familiar with, flowers, and this thing that I’m so uncomfortable with, my body, can be mirrored within each other. The overarching idea behind this body of work is that your body can be a house, but not necessarily a home.

I will use sound, photography, and printmaking, to further explore this work. I will continue to create diverse and interesting pieces that connect the individual with the natural world and continue to contrast the two.