I incorporate inspiration from my childhood fears and fantasy, as well as imagery from pop and media culture, to portray seemingly contradictory interactions of humans and their internal and external environments. These hyperbolic vignettes depict figures that are beleaguered by, but also seem to have perpetuated the out-of-control amassing around them. I have started using rodent-like animals to convey this duality, as they are at once cute, tamable creatures, but also unmanageable pests. I exaggerate scale and amount, indulging to excess that is both satisfying and horrific. This excess reveals a space where my imaginary world becomes uncontrollable. Elements of comfort and discomfort, certainty and wonder, humor and severity in my work create a push and pull with viewers, inviting them to engage with the narratives.

Clay allows me to translate my imaginary worlds into material form. I build the figures out of earthenware slabs, cutting out pieces like fabric and methodically adding musculature and tiny facial details such as teeth and eyes. Then, I play with these figures by distorting scale, enveloping them with visceral pillows, or making strange pets for their company. I let the material create its own gestures by intuitively twisting, pulling and pinching it, while simultaneously laboring over the minutiae of certain details. Layers of textured glazes give each piece history and bring certain parts into focus.