Statement

Landscape is most interesting to me as a backdrop for human narrative. Borderlands are a particularly electrified space and the wall within the landscape is a powerful architectural symbol of Us and Them, dividing the physical and social landscape. My very existence is predicated upon my grandparents’ families who crossed the Mexican border. I am compelled to depict these focal settings. The beautiful palettes bely the human suffering of these places and hopefully draw attention. 

I painted the border paintings of Israel/Gaza and Syria in response to war. I used the landscape background of news photos as reference. The color palettes are inspired by a post-apocalyptic anime film as well as Bedouin textiles. The Ukraine pieces draw on Ukrainian traditional textile colors and designs. This feels to me like a healing way to approach these tragic landscapes through painting. Landscapes transcend borders yet absorb their violence. 

The Marin Headlands series include the remnants of the WWII military bunkers and batteries. These are relevant to our present time of cold war, wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine. It underscores our delicate balance of peace and security. Here I use Japanese textiles as the basis of color palettes and designs, referencing fear of a Japanese invasion and subsequent internment camps. I view the incorporation of textile design and color as a kind of reparation, this knitting together of destruction and creation.