Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

love creating surrealist works that contort the human psyche while maintaining a sense of restraint. My art blends fantasy with the human form, using it as both subject and structure. This approach reflects my two biggest influences growing up, illustration and fine art, combining imagination with intention to create pieces that feel both controlled and dreamlike (and nightmarish).

Where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration tends to come in waves, whether sparked by my artistic colleagues or shaped through adversity. I see my work as deeply introspective, and a case study of the hardship I’ve faced and witnessed; exploring the question, “What happens if these experiences are pushed to their extremes, freed from the limits of the real world?” My influences include James Jean, Sano, Lisa Yuskavage, and many Baroque painters such as Artemisia Gentileschi.

What would you do with $25,000?

I would use this to invest in the heart of my art career, while also giving back to the people who supported me from the start. My family struggled to make ends meet and sacrificed their own needs to help me pursue my dreams. They deserve the chance to pay off the medical debt from my dad’s journey beating Cholangiocarcinoma in 2020! I’d also invest in my growth as an artist, upgrading materials, securing studio space, and traveling to learn from other artists and build meaningful connections.