Artist Statement – late winter, 2023

The only time I don’t feel shame is when I’m painting. When I paint, I am unmasked and flowing. I am a body-being that exists beyond the neurotypical gender binary.

I came tumbling out of my mother with shame and pain and pleasure. In my earthly beginning, my body-being formed in gorgeous embryonic fluid. Once upon a time I existed in a felt sense of deep physical connection. Now, I seek and create this connection through material. I mix sand, glitter, crowd-sourced house paint, pine needles, other blobs and oozy things to play this all out in the material realm.

To paint is to stitch threads between the permeable fabric of my body. This, repeated, becomes connective tissue. This connection between my body and earth material heals and affirms my being here. Being here means being part of it, not separate from it.  With all identity concepts set aside, my body-being receives love and belonging while painting.

I repeat that I am worthy of pleasure.
Healing is sacred, eternal, collective.
Material is active, changing, and precious.