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I paint from live observation, combining gestural and meticulous mark-making to depict human forms and the atmosphere of the moment. Working with oil paint—a tactile, malleable, hand-applied medium—I aim to invoke awareness of a specific tactile sensation in the viewer, portraying skin as both a sense organ and a sensory stimulant.
In these self-portraits, I explore unexpected juxtapositions of objects and body parts, choosing objects for their visual and tactile qualities and for their potential to create startling and engrossing moments for the viewer. I experiment with objects traditionally gendered as feminine—a pearl necklace, a high-heeled shoe, and red lipstick—misusing or misapplying them to my body in order to explore feelings of discomfort and frustration as a nonbinary person renegotiating my relationship with femininity. I depict predicaments choreographed with carefully chosen props: performative moments that take shape from private questioning. These works invite viewers to contemplate and question their own expectations around “feminine” objects, gendered assumptions based on outward presentation, and the idea of a gender binary.
Spoon, oil on canvas, 14” x 11”, 2021
Pearly Whites (Self Portrait with Pearl Necklace), oil on canvas, 12” x 9”, 2021
If the Shoe Fits, oil on canvas, 11” x 14”, 2021
Red Hand, oil on canvas, 12” x 9”, 2021