My work is reliant on handmade paper, print, collage, and sculptural elements. Through collaging and layers of materials, I work to visually create a representation of memory. The repetition of patterns and grids, abstracted forms and residual marks explore intuition, processing information, and components of the past. The sculptural assemblages in the work mimic the two-dimensional shapes to create an experience for the viewer to interact with and relate to their own memory. As memories are perceptions of experiences that often lack absoluteness, only simple shapes, minimal colors, and visual pathways remain.

As I am interested in community art and social engagement, my collages consequently invite the viewer to reflect on their memories and how the simple forms I use serve as the universal foundations of memory. As a teacher, my work with children has influenced my art-making as I am interested in how they navigate through their own worlds, imaginations, and memories, and are comfortable with the ambiguity that arises in abstract art. Illustrations in my mixed-media collages and my processes for creating art books preserve a raw, handmade quality that reveal I am not concerned with precision, but rather wish to celebrate the child-like curiosity and the imperfections that emerge from people’s desire to “make something special” when creating by hand. Childhood influences such as game boards, collections of found objects, and geometric shapes inform my work and create a visual playfulness as I collage memories to make sense of my life and relate to others.