I create paintings that move between figuration and abstraction, using the body and fragmented forms to explore memory, desire, and the passage of time. Much of the work begins with personal experiences, relationships, loss, intimacy, but then things start to shift, stretch, or misbehave a little. I’m interested in how painting can hold emotional residue, while also allowing space for something unexpected and poetic.

I’m also drawn to the tension between opposites, between what feels true and what feels off, between intimacy and distance, clarity and distortion. That’s often where a kind of absurdity appears, not for humor alone, but as a way to reveal something deeper. Underneath it all, I try to hold onto an honest emotional center, sometimes something unresolved or even unjust, that the painting can expose in its materiality.

With $25,000, I would first pay off some credit debt to create stability and mental space. Then I would rent a studio for a year. It’s important for me to see my paintings together as they develop, they feed into and respond to one another. These are often large-scale works, and space matters. Currently, I work from my apartment in Sierra Madre, which limits that perspective. A dedicated studio would allow the work to grow more cohesively.