Identity seeking is at the center of my artistic practice. Digging to find the “core” elements of what make me who I am and how that manifests in imagery, design and material choice is the focus of my current body of work “Charm Bracelets.”  This series is looking at identity in a literal way asking “What would you put on your charm bracelet?” while also considering elements of identity not easily put into words. When selecting subject matter I  consider external and internal viewpoints and how they manifest in my world, which includes internet culture, childhood motifs and popular media.
For example, You’re a Shooting STAR utilizes imagery of awards given to me in elementary school when my ability to succeed in academia was so closely tied to who I was as a person. 

In addition to using a round panel to further reference charm bracelets, I use the circular repetition in this series to call upon the meditative nature of my painting process and its function in my life, similar to how a mandala may be used in spiritual practices. Overall, creating a sense of play is crucial and embracing fun and whimsy is the goal of my work.