Intimacy
Intimacy /‘in(t)əməsē/
noun (plural intimacies)
close familiarity or friendship; closeness:
the intimacy between one and one’s self; partner; family; community.
How to Be
PanPastel and graphite on paper, 23" x 29", 2024
Inquire
This work will be exhibited at the San Francisco Art Fair 2024 at the CK Contemporary booth in April, 2024.
Portrayed in this self-portrait is the mirror that hangs in the threshold of my studio. Walking past it countless times a day, it captures me as I move in and out of the creative process - and what a comprehensive process it is. The process of artistic choices and application; the process of physically checking what is on the paper (looking at an artwork through a mirror is my most common tool for checking my progress as it often provides a perspective I otherwise don’t see); the process of navigating artistic identity; and finally, the ever-evolving process of discovering who I am as a whole person.
So, this is a portrait of an artist truly engaged in the question of how to be right now. I’ve found that, much like one’s reflection in a mirror, our unique roadmap of “how to be” changes every day, sometimes in subtle ways, other times as if you’re staring at a life brand new.
When you look at yourself in the mirror today, what does your reflection tell you about the choices you’ve made, while navigating how to be?
We See What You’re Doing Here
PanPastel and graphite on paper, 14" x 9.5", 2023
This work was exhibited at Art Market SF 2023 at the CK Contemporary booth and was a finalist in the Artist's Network Strokes of Genius 15.
The oppression of women is ongoing. Our violators may think they are sly while working hard to strip away our autonomy and silence our voices. Though our eyes remain open wide, witnessing and understanding every move as the fight for our rights continues.
What do you see?
Hold Your Grief Gently
PanPastel and graphite on paper, 20" x 40", 2022
This artwork was a finalist in the Artist's Network Strokes of Genius 15.
Grief is not predictable; it can not be forced into a time frame, a shape, or a feeling. Grief is something that exists inside of you, and it is there to stay. Time passes, and in fact, growth begins happening within and around it. The smallest bud says two things to you: there is hope, and there is still quite a long journey ahead. Hold your grief gently, you’re building a relationship with it, and as with all relationships, it will evolve, in time.
Where is your relationship with grief today?
The Work
PanPastel and graphite on paper, 20" x 22", 2022
This work was exhibited at Art Market SF in 2023 and the Art on Paper Fair in New York in 2022.
It takes an emotionally open and present person to acknowledge when internal shifts are needing to occur. However, acknowledging is the easy part. In practice, it requires extraordinary courage, dedication, and self love to actually face oneself and do the inner work to change. When this happens, we find ourselves again, our life becomes more vibrant, and we build strength to continue to face the challenges that life inevitably brings.
When have you done “the work”?
Outside
Graphite on paper, 22" x 24", 2020
This work was a finalist in the 16th ARC Salon, the 2022 Strokes of Genius, the 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and the 2021 International Biennial Portrait Competition, it is included in The Lunar Codex, Polaris Collection, headed to the moon in 2023, and will be published in the Manifest Gallery's 15th International Drawing Annual.
“Navigating relationships, idealized roles, and social expectations comes with its multitudes of toxicity and challenges. Sometimes we can become caught in projections of who we should be and what we should be doing without really seeing our true selves in the picture. In these moments, it’s incredibly challenging to be fully present in our own skin; to a degree, we exist as an emotional bystander, just outside.”
When do you feel outside of yourself?
High Bar
Graphite and PanPastel on paper, 21" x 21", 2022
This work received the Fine Art Connoisseur Publishing Prize as well as the Dual Category Award in the 16th ARC Salon, will hang at Sotheby’s NY for the 16th ARC exhibition in July 2023, is included in The Lunar Codex headed to The Moon in 2023, and will be published in the Manifest Gallery's 15th International Drawing Annual in 2023.
Ambition is a terrific force. Acknowledging a goal and doing all that you can to achieve it is an admirable quality that often brings about many wonderful things in life. Though, do we take enough time to sit back and bask in our hard work and achievements before charging on to the next thing? Ambition versus personal expectation to be “great” can often be misconstrued for one another. Holding a high bar for oneself can create an illusion that anything below that bar is inadequate, or not fully formed. If the bar is constantly rising, when do we get to celebrate our accomplishments and relax into who we are today? This tension is carried around quietly by many.
How do you manage your personal expectations of yourself?
The Homes We Make
Graphite and PanPastel on paper, 21" x 28", 2021
This work is a part of The Bennett Collection and is included in The Lunar Codex headed to The Moon in 2023 and will be published in the Manifest Gallery's 15th International Drawing Annual in 2023.
The body I have is the body I’ve got” - a statement that can be filled with pride or with shame, depending on the day. We reside in our skin, we make a home of it. At times, our external residence reflects how we feel internally - clean and “put together,” or a mess of dirty dishes, piles of laundry. To step outside is an act of modesty, putting on clothes to cover our bodies: our genitals, our folds, our scars, all that which we may or may not identify with. Every day we interact with these vessels, sometimes feeling right at home, other times an imposter staring back at us through the mirror.
How do you feel inside the home you’ve made today?
Beginning to Bare
Graphite on paper, 14 3/4" x 20", 2020
This work was a finalist in the 2020 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and will be published in the Manifest Gallery's 15th International Drawing Annual in 2023.
We so often show up with what we believe to be our best traits in the foreground. As we develop relationships, we strive to keep it that way. We all, inevitably, have traits that we are not so proud of - ones that we want to remain beneath the preview to those around us. Beginning to bare these parts is scary - will you still be accepted and loved, or will you be turned away? This does come with a risk, but finding the courage to do so leads to deeper intimacy with yourself, and with all those around you who lovingly stay there to bear witness.
Who have you bared your less-desirable qualities to?
Heavy
Graphite on paper, 16" x 24", 2021
This work is included in The Lunar Codex headed to The Moon in 2023.
Insomnia. A feeling that holds so much tension - a body that is heavy, begging for rest, yet coupled with a racing mind - anxious, uneasy, and alert as if just woken from a falling dream; contradictions keeping the affliction alive.
Has anxiety ever affected your sleep?
Ripple
Graphite on paper, 13 3/4" x 13 3/4", 2021
This work was exhibited at the SF Art Fair in 2022, was a 2021 International Biennial Portrait Competition Finalist, 109th Allied Artists of America Finalist, and is included in The Lunar Codex headed to The Moon in 2023.
A contemplation on the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic - both on the individual, and society as a whole. There is isolation, longing, the act of shielding one another by connecting through a mask, through a screen, socializing only on social media... so many alienating effects left rippling through us all. We are wanting to connect, but there is such a big piece of the puzzle missing, uncertain as to when we'll begin to feel whole again.
What ripples of the covid-19 pandemic have you felt?
Boundaries
Graphite on paper, 4" x 6", 2020
This work was published in the Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine “A Time For Twosomes”, is included in The Lunar Codex, headed to The Moon in 2023.
Healthy dependency is something that my partner and I have explored continually throughout our relationship. It is a delicate balance - embracing a loving interdependence while establishing and maintaining ones own independence. Boundaries are essential within this practice. We assess them daily, making adjustments to the shape of it all as we go along.
How do you talk about boundaries with your partner?
Suspension
Graphite on paper, 18" x 26 1/2", 2020
This work was published in the Artists of the Bay Area book published through Jen Tough Gallery, and will be published in the Manifest Gallery's 15th International Drawing Annual in 2023.
Anxiety is a part of my world. When I am in an anxious state, I do not feel grounded, nor do I feel free - I feel caught in the discomfort of the middle; I feel suspended.
How does anxiety manifest for you?