I bring my authentic self to access my inner child through regressive and instinctual painting techniques that intersect with weaving. I actively use my hands and expressive kinesthetic movements in both my painting and weaving practices to access fluid communication with myself; communication that goes beyond words and accesses my subconscious emotional process. Through this authentic expression, I aim to create space for intimacy within my work by accessing vulnerability and the part of myself that is separated from objectives. By revealing my unfiltered emotions through the act of making, I'm attempting to find my relationship with myself and my queer identity. I do this by subverting traditional sequences and making styles, replacing them with failures and mistakes. The intuitive act of building upon intentional failure is important to my practice as a queer maker as it inherently allows me to work outside of binaries that are structured for specific hierarchical degrees of success.
I let go of all expectations and make room for mistakes by laying the foundations of all my work with charged materials. These materials vary from warp, to bubble wrap, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and birth control capsules. I have different relationships with each material as they have their histories with me and separately, the world. Each of these materials holds its place and in turn, informs the ever-evolving relationships I have with myself.
Using these charged materials throughout my weavings and paintings greatly informs my process. Relying on these materials for the foundation of a piece allows me to combine my interest in art therapy to use my surroundings and make creative responses informed by what I see. Starting with materials that hold value informs my decisions and emotional response as I work. By following this process in tandem with the laborious process of weaving and heavily layered painting, it allows me to release my preconceived expectations and inform my growing sense of self as a queer individual.