My Approach

“I paint backwards.

I start with one idea, an image or material or pattern that has bored itself into my mind’s eye. I sketch the image over an over again to get to know its character. And when it comes time to put that character to canvas, I already know who it is, where it should go, and how it should look when it stands alone. Then I add layers to contextualize the entity in a greater story—in today’s politics, in my own identity as a queer artist of color, in my community relations. Each of my pieces is formed through this process, taking on a life beyond the original idea.”