I paint to breathe.
To remind myself to slow down.
Slow down from all the busyness that builds up around us.
We convince ourselves life should be busy, but it’s overwhelming. Claustrophobic.
We forget how to exist beyond the walls we’ve limited ourselves to.
We forget how to breathe.
How to live.
How to just be.
We forget to remind ourselves why we live. What inspires us to live and excites us to wake up every morning?

I paint to breathe because when I’m breathing I know I am alive.
I work with materials that have a mind of their own. Painting with watercolor and gunpowder enables me to discover the dynamic relation between control and uncertainty; finding a balance between holding on and letting go. The fluidity of the watercolors and spontaneity of the fire reminds me that I only have so much control over the medium before they act on their own accord.

One of my favorite moments while painting is watching the paints interact with each other.
Spontaneous reactions occur and the media comes to life. Often times the movements of the media erases evidence of paintbrush strokes—the human hand involved. This removal of the human touch arouses a sense of mystery and ambiguity provoking one to think beyond one’s own human experience.
My hope is that my works can offer people the same reminder to breathe. To pause, reflect, and remember why we live, what makes us feel alive.