ABOUT

I am a Cleveland-based artist creating works with handmade paper and mixed media, often layered, that are deeply rooted in how I drew as a child and continue to draw today.

My work is all about my memories, inspired by how I remember the grid drawings of my childhood. I explore these memories (or rather my personal reconstructions of them) to serve as a commentary on the way in which we all create our own versions of the past in order to move forward from pain.

My process is a cycle between safety and survival.

Safety, in that I often start too cautiously, sometimes filling a shape with dots for hours to avoid the harder choices and to protect myself from making a “mistake.” This can result in no connection to the piece, no problem to solve, and the work feels contrived. So I’ll flip the paper and start again. 

On survival, each piece is a battle to connect. If I succeed, it survives. If I do not connect to it, it will be cut up, and I hope that one day it will become part of something that resonates. 

I have shown my work throughout Northeast Ohio, as well as in Columbus, Ohio, and Brooklyn, New York. I also started a project called ActLoCLE, a web-based art hub that provides community and visibility for makers in the region.