How did you get started as an artist?
Art has been a hobby for me since I was a kid. I loved anime and video games and was heavily inspired by those early on. Although, eventually I moved away from those, not wanting my work to be thought of as “anime-style”. As I got older, I considered pursuing art professionally but was hesitant since I did not want the pressures of an art career to take away the joy from creating art. I chose to go a different direction in college, studying Architecture, which I became interested in in high school. I enjoyed my time as an undergrad and learned a lot about both architecture and art because of it, and currently I work as an architectural designer in my day job. However, more and more I realized that making art is the thing I’m most passionate about, and I quit my job and took some months to work on my art and take it to a new level. Those months were invaluable and were the jumpstart I needed to focus on my craft and the type of art that I want to make, which has resulted in my work being featured in exhibitions throughout the United States. Since then, I started at a new architectural designer job that allows for more creativity than my previous job and have been able to carve out time for my art practice on the side.
I am interested in our roles in nature, as a part of it, separated from it, and the myriad ways we attempt to exert control over something that is ultimately uncontrollable
What themes does your work involve?
My work examines the relationships between humans and nature and the intersection of built and organic environments. I am interested in our roles in nature, as a part of it, separated from it, and the myriad ways we attempt to exert control over something that is ultimately uncontrollable. Some of this inspiration can be seen in my Classes series of nine 30 x 30-inch oil pastel paintings, each depicting a human alongside an animal of a different classification, confined to a 6.25 square-foot plane. Although they are in such close proximity, there is a clear separation, highlighting the distance we put between ourselves and nature as the natural world encroaches. The inspiration for the simplified geometric forms came from the forms of figures in the works of Picasso and those of ancient Iranian ceramic vessels. My compositions aim to echo the otherworldly feeling imbued into these ancient vessels, elevating the animals to deified versions of themselves.
...the process of learning a new medium is one of the most fun parts of art
Do you have any artistic goals for the future that you would like to share?
I want to continue learning new mediums that I can translate my style into because the process of learning a new medium is one of the most fun parts of art (plus it's an excuse to buy fun new tools). I want to make sculptures, pottery, tapestries, murals, you name it. Ink and paint will probably always be my bread and butter, but I just know I could make really cool stuff in any medium and I don’t want to constrain myself just to the canvas. My ultimate goal though is to someday see my art in a museum.
