My work prioritizes accuracy on an emotional level rather than a visual one. I draw from my own life to explore themes including relationships, queer culture, the body, and atmosphere.
Coming from a family of professional creative writers, narrative is always at the forefront of my mind. I am interested in refining narratives into their essential components, exploring a number of questions along the way. What constitutes the essence of a moment? How do we interpret gestures as expressions of intimacy? What details make something feel real, and why are we attracted to that authenticity?
I love to learn and keep an open mind, so I work in several mediums. In the past several years, I’ve made prints, illustrations, photographs, comics, and videos, but I plan to expand that list in the future. My roots, however, are in illustration. I’ve grown up on a diet of comics, and my illustrative work reflects that. I lean into simplified, gestural images to get at the core of feelings. While I work with simplified forms, I am also concerned with detail as a method for developing conceptual specificity. This is something that is reflected in my photographs as well. Each piece should read as a snapshot of a real moment, with real people.
Simplicity and clarity don’t negate messiness and intuition, which are significant parts of my practice. My illustrations and prints don’t often change very much from their original rough sketches. Many of my photos are taken in a place or during an event in which I am an active participant. I find this way of making to produce a much more natural outcome. The less stiff or overworked my work is, the more familiarity and warmth it will have.
