I paint expressively joyful portraits honoring how women move through their multifaceted lives and connecting us in communal dance.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
Contemporary large scale portraits of women dancing. I love to experiment with materials and mediums. I want the viewer to see how each portrait reveals a distinct story, but also a collective energy—a sense of solidarity and belonging. My hope is that people walk away feeling uplifted, inspired, and reminded that joy is not just an emotion; it’s a way to stay connected to each other even through difficult times.
Where do you find inspiration?I paint women and people I know, meet, or discover who can inspire others. I’m drawn to bodies in motion—dancing in clubs, at celebrations, or in class. I’m in awe of bodies of every age, shape, size, and color, and I express that wonder through my work, capturing the beauty of the forms we create and the universal language our bodies speak.
What would you do with $25,000?I'd invest in a printing press to create hand-pulled works that make my practice more accessible. I would also expand opportunities to present my work in galleries and major art fairs nationwide. The funds would support a catalog with audio and video documentation of my process, and ‘A Glorious Movement,’ inviting local dancers to respond to the work through live performance and community engagement.
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