Untitled (Senegal three) Painting

Born in Nebraska Lives and works in Michigan, USA I create iterations of paintings, drawings, and relief sculptures by merging traditional art-making methods and materials with ordinary objects. I utilize flattened boxes that previously held consumer goods as patterns, forming networks of lines, spaces, and shapes. Accentuated areas create moments where lines narrow, cutting paths through expansive shapes, similar to seam allowances in clothing construction. My early appreciation for textiles is deeply woven into my studio practice. My mother taught me to sew at a young age, and through working with my hands, I discovered the magic of transforming a two-dimensional plane into three dimensions using seams, tucks, darts, and pleats. My fondness for flattened boxes is rooted in my love for sewing patterns. I see similarities between the two materials: both facilitate a transformation from two to three dimensions, are designed to be disposable, and create or house items that are deemed valuable. Unlike clothing construction, my method embraces chance and does not have a specific outcome in mind; instead, I work to uncover a direction. This approach allows me to react to the marks and shapes in front of me, carve order out of chaos, and stay mindful of the process. There is an undeniable connection between my fabric vocabulary and my mother in my studio practice. Her contributions to the family often went unnoticed. I use sewing and textile cues to represent "women's work," highlighting the minimized visibility of gender roles in society. Caretaking, domestic labor, and supporting roles form the seams that hold society together, yet they are frequently overlooked and undervalued.