Artist Statement for all three projects
1) Oil Paintings on Wood and Canvas, 2) Works on Paper, and 3) Drawings

My art is a harmony of forms. Most of my work includes natural, figurative, and architectural motifs as associations of beauty and memory. Ornate and decorative Eastern textiles are also sources. Whether boldly or obscurely, grid-like or lattice structures are also present and intertwine themselves with these elements. Since Summer 2019, my recent body of work is based on gravesites located in the Père Lachaise and Montparnasse cemeteries in Paris. I am interested in the various styles and meaning of ornamentation adorning these graves and family mausoleums. Over centuries, artisans created designs reflecting the interred’s religion, culture, and social status. Sculptural motifs symbolizing nature, religious affiliation and the supernatural are omnipresent. In addition, many graves are in disrepair and suffer from neglect, specifically where natural elements have become intrusive and have come to reclaim their space. This new series represents both a synthesis and distillation of styles and symbolism extracted from these sculptural gravesites. Additionally, personal references and motifs are interjected, that refer to the passage of time, which for me reflects a strong bond to the past.

These works on paper continue my exploration of ornamentation in the Père Lachaise and Montparnasse cemeteries.

These drawings are from a sketchbook documenting various details in the Père Lachaise and Montparnasse cemeteries.