Astronauts with Mom Painting

Artist Statement I paint female forms with the goal of examining the complex and contradictory roles of women in society. My forms are abstracted, dissected and exaggerated, at times expanding from the foreground to background.The women sit and stand nude in suggestive poses, often wearing stilettos. These anonymous figures exude sexuality, fertility and motherhood, often intertwined with elements of violence and the grotesque. There is a juxtaposition of delicate, stereotypically “feminine” colors and repetitive, aggressive, graffiti-like markings. Objects, drawing and texts are sometimes used to accentuate the underlying themes. My identity as a women and artist has shifted greatly over the past 11 years. Motherhood has deeply challenged my art as it continuously intersects with my observations of the roles and struggles of women in society to create an ever- evolving definition of womanhood.