I am an interdisciplinary artist often working from a base of clay. Drawing from observations, research, lived experiences, and fiction, I combine ceramic pieces with process-based practices to create a forum for exploration and evolving narratives. I am especially interested in themes of loss and kinship, and I frequently use metaphors from nature to reframe social and personal dialectics. For me, creating is a way of advocating while also working through my internal landscape.
My current work is focused on unpacking the problematic vocabulary found in 'invasion' ecology, and the ways it shapes our perceptions of belonging. As an adoptee, I am drawn to the parallels between the 'displaced entity' and the 'invasive species,' and I am curious about what it means to thrive in unfamiliar soil. While I acknowledge the ecological impact of invasive species, my interest is centered on the consequences of xenophobic language embedded in dominant environmental and sociological narratives. Weaving historical context and lived experience, I create interchangeable ceramic sculptures composed of structural forms with emerging roots and connecting threads. With these pieces, I incorporate process-based approaches to play out the experience of displacement, establishing place, and thriving despite hegemonic dynamics. I want to understand what determines acceptance and create a visual language that challenges nativist ideals, fostering respect in both ecological and sociological constructs.