“My work asks the audience where they draw the line between what they are told to think and what they choose to believe.”

The goal of my work is to encourage the deconstruction of belief and identity. Deconstruction is not defined by a turning away from a set of ideas, but a critical analysis. Growing up in the South, Christianity has played a large part in my upbringing. Disaligning with many of the ideas that were taught to me in bible school, I put my internal struggle into my artwork. I have been developing a body of work that challenges the idea of biblical womanhood. Female representation is scarce throughout the bible, and the role that women often play is small or the source of a problem. With an understanding of who is telling the story, I encourage my audience to reexamine these narratives. Additionally, I look at modern women in media and examine how similar themes have prevailed throughout time. The perpetuation of harmful stereotypes in modern culture creates a subconscious bias for the female role. My work draws connections between old and new stories, highlighting the similarities for my audience.

Referencing the female body as a vessel, I work large-scale to encourage women to take up space. My vessels are hand-carved to mimic stained glass, following patterns inspired by places of worship. The intricate carvings create space for two separate images to exist on the same plane, allowing the past and present to confront one another. Outside of my large-scale work, I throw utilitarian pieces that allow for intimacy between the artist and the artwork. My work is driven by form, sometimes interchanging functional properties with aesthetic ones. This decision mirrors my themes of femininity, as women are often asked to give up comfort to achieve beauty. I am currently implementing the themes of my larger works into functional wares, allowing my painted imagery to become a part of everyday life. My artworks aim to evoke questions from the audience, instead of spoonfeeding them my personal ideas. My work asks the audience where they draw the line between what they are told to think and what they choose to believe.