A Statement on the Carnival Series

I began this series after reading about medieval French carnivals. These body-centered events focused on collective performances of dance, laughter, eating, drinking, and bodily taboos—in stark contrast to prevailing doctrines that shunned the body while valorizing the mind or soul. People gathered to celebrate their shared humanity, concealing social ranks and identities through masking and costume. Albeit temporarily, the group turned into one collective body.

The troubles of our own divisive world—from post-pandemic isolation to the disembodiment of social media, political polarization, various forms of nationalism, and the alienating effects of global capitalism—have all left me longing for this idea of a collective body. Even when we’re physically alone, we still affect each other through social, political, and economic systems. The collective body is always there whether we acknowledge it or not. Instead of painting to depict, I now paint to make this togetherness tangible in the viewer’s body, to invert the act of gazing and turn it into being-with.

My process begins with diluted ink that I pour onto sheets of polypropylene. Once the ink dries, I respond by painting on top of its accidental textures and forms until they begin to seem intentional. I make choices that prioritize attraction, repulsion, shared laughter, and recognition—experiences that are both uncomfortable and enticing at the same time. Through these interventions, the most accidental element of the painting—the poured ink—begins to feel relatable on a gut level, reaching beyond the gaze and tapping into something visceral that connects us.