Artist scholarly work and creative statement

Art, activism and collectives have profoundly shaped my understanding of the systemic nature of discrimination and oppression, as well as the ways in which art can be a tactic of resistance and has the potential to change habitual perspective and consciousness. 

My current research and studio practice is focused towards continuing the themes of “Feminist Alchemy”. I will be creating paintings and some sculptures for a planned solo show at Wilding Cran Gallery(Los Angeles) in 2026/27. This particular show centers around my research into "The Owl of Minerva”, which refers to a phrase from philosopher G.W.F. Hegel, meaning that wisdom and understanding emerge only after a way of life has passed, or in hindsight. 

Minerva is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena, who is associated with wisdom, strategy, and crafts. The owl is a traditional symbol of Minerva, representing her wisdom and knowledge. Hegel's Context used this phrase in the preface to his Philosophy of Right, where he was discussing the transition from feudalism to commercialism and democracy. One interpretation is that philosophy and wisdom come too late, only after events have already unfolded. I will be using the re-election of Donald Trump as a way to discuss this phenomenon of not learning from our our treacherous history. I will attempt to use symbology like the owl of Minerva and the Merkabah to critique the how and why of our present time, and an attempt to see another layer of the onion skin peeled back. The Emperor really has no clothes.

Art, activism and collectives have profoundly shaped my understanding of the systemic nature of discrimination and oppression, as well as the ways in which art can be a tactic of resistance and has the potential to change habitual perspective and consciousness. Much of my artwork has been inspired by the paradigm shift that has taken place since 9-11 and the Election day of 2016, which I call  “the psychological 9-11”. My practice has centered on both the negative and positive sides of social authority & control. Carl Jung philosophy calls it: “the shadow” the deep journey of interiority, truth, and psychology. When a person has the willingness to look at their own “darkness” this can then lead to a change in this habitual discussion we have with our negative internal dialogue. The paradoxical truth of the psyche is that to ascend - we must go down first. I now have to add in the election day of 2024, which was still an unexpected shift what I thought would be a shift in our lives, the 1st woman president and the decision of the majority to denied someone running for president who was an overt racist and sexist.


My newest solo show “The Alchemy of equals” was created from 2022- 2024 and opened in New York On November 3rd , in fact we timed the opening to be right during the November election of 2024. This work is completely about my self as a feminist here and now…what does that mean? How can I affect change in any way as an artists that shows in a white cube? I am a feminist artist within a complex socio-political environment, viewing alchemy not solely as mystical transformation but as a dynamic process of socio-political engagement. Inspired by theorists like Judith Butler, who notes that “Gender is an identity tenuously constituted in time… through a stylized repetition of acts, my art work/ newest paintings encourages viewers to reflect on how gender and identity are intertwined within social structures and symbols of power.

Central to my themes in “ The Alchemy of Equals” (my newest solo endeavor), I am trying to re-envisioning of iconic American monuments from a contemporary feminist perspective, these ,traditionally masculine and patriotic symbols—from an alchemical perspective. In the painting Goddess Eye View and God’s Eye View series, I attempt to reinterpret the Washington Monument, a symbol of phallic power, Instead of looking up at the phallus monument - I look down from a goddess eye view - and Ariel perspective, equalizing the monument and hosting it as a space of resilience and equality. Aerial perspectives, informed by Washington D.C.’s “secret architecture” and Google Earth’s views, reveal cosmological alignments and zodiacs that cast new meanings on these monuments. This approach echoes the work of feminist artist Mary Beth Edelson, who sought to “reclaim the spiritual” by emphasizing symbols that challenge patriarchal and heteronormative assumptions.

All of these paintings are meticulously fabricated on tables, where I iron and then mount the portrait linen to pre-made birch wood panels. The images are projected and hand-drawn onto the raw canvas, then arduously taped and sealed with gel medium, with each painting layer.  This is a Continuation of a body of work initially started when I was the Grant Wood Fellow in Painting in Iowa City, 2019/20.

“Goddess Eye View”  is from a series that references the Washington Monument. The monument in DC is a giant obelisk which was inspired by the Egyptian obelisk ‘Tekhenu’, a phallic salutation to the sun god. Using Google Earth to view the capital city from an aerial perspective, I have created an inverted, ‘feminized’ version of Washington’s famous monument, opening a dialogue that responds to those historically masculine symbols of power. My version sees the memorial topographically from above, transforming the phallic symbol into a universal one. With these works I am proposing  a contemporary “feminist alchemy”, forging alternative frames of reference with new perspectives that lead us to a revitalized kind of perception, equality, and empowerment.

Triangles: Sometimes, the most simple, basic shapes are the most profound in meaning. The meaning of  an inverted triangle (female) and meaning of erect triangle (male). I am particularly invested in the triangle and the role it has played in queer histories, visualizing its various evolutions into pyramids, stars, diamonds and “Merkabah’s”. My 1st experience and better understanding of the power of symbology came from the upside down pink triangle. This was a powerful representation of the gay resistance and was aestheticized by ACTUP during the AIDS crisis in late 80’s and 90’s, which I was deeply involved in. Initially intended as a badge of shame, but later reclaimed as a positive symbol of self-identity. 

The Merkabah: This symbol consists of 2 intersecting tetrahedrons(a triangular pyramid) . Visualize (two) 3-dimensional triangles that rotate in opposite directions. From sacred geometry, this creates an energy field that is commonly referred to as a “light body”or  translates to “light, spirit, body” and can function as a tool that helps humans reach their full potential. Everyone has access to their own personal Merkabah or vehicle of light with a practice in observation or meditation. It is said that once one has access to their Merkabah it can provide powerful protection and transport your consciousness to higher dimensions. The “Queer Merkabah” is among many paintings I have made using this symbol, that is made with these intentions, as if I am speaking to myself and others to say “I see your potential everyday”.

Sacred Geometry is often referred to as the “architecture of the universe”, simultaneously satisfying both the left brain and right brain hemispheres. It satisfies the left brain's desire for logical, sequential and objective data and the right brain's desire for random, intuitive and subjective data. This is an ongoing series of paintings using geometric symbology as metaphors that strive to connect with others and effect personal, societal and environmental change. I believe our struggles have the potential to transform us into strong and more powerful versions of ourselves, shifting our perspectives that rely on old habits, prejudices and dominant authority.  The transformation I am trying to discuss is on a micro and macro level, and also represents an introspective mirror I am turning upon myself.