Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I enjoy creating expressive mixed media paintings. I work with acrylic, oil pastel, and collage, building layers to convey emotion and meaning. I apply paint with physical intensity—using brushes, palette knives, and my fingers—to challenge conventional boundaries. My work is often rooted in social issues and personal experiences, making it honest and direct. For me, painting is both liberation and defiance.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in lived experience—especially moments shaped by inequality, emotion, and personal conflict. Growing up in a traditional environment made me sensitive to issues of gender and power, which continue to influence my work. I’m also deeply inspired by children, especially those with disabilities. Their drawings are raw, instinctive, and honest, and I often incorporate these marks into my paintings. They remind me that expression doesn’t need control to be meaningful.

What would you do with $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to sustain my studio and materials while building a new series. It would give me the space—both physically and mentally—to work with more intensity, experiment with scale, and develop the work without limitation.