Artist Statement
I often seek to escape, overwhelmed by sounds, crowds, and confined spaces. I find myself in-between daydreams and dissociation. Escapism is a coping mechanism—an ideal illusion—pleasant and within my control. However, the extent an environment can affect me and the fact that I prefer escapism to reality, disturbs me.
Escapism became a significant point of interest in my work after I injured my dominant right hand. Drawing left-handed has been an uncomfortable and foreign experience, it is not something I can escape from, and it physically anchors me in the present. There is a sense of irony in my work and how I explore the idea of escapism conceptually and through different mediums; comfortably using my right hand to work in digital art while I practice using colored pencils with my left.
I want to capture the nature of escapism and illustrate my complex feelings towards it. Inspired by artists like David Hockney and Henri Matisse, I create altered versions of reality through distorted landscapes and an emotionally driven use of color. Color is an important feature in my work. My palette is made to energize but not overwhelm myself or the viewer. I believe that escapism is universal and unique, formed through daydreams and dissociation of varying degrees. My work offers a harmonious balance between the magical realm of daydreaming and the disturbing experience of dissociation.
