ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Words -- written or spoken, understood or misunderstood, poetic or prosaic, curvilinear or rectilinear, on the computer screen, or on paper -- are what motivate me to create my visual narrative. I am fascinated by how, through language, we understand a great deal about ourselves and things around us, and how ideas: simple, complex and abstract, are conveyed and understood using symbols. Another aspect that also intrigues and inspires me to use language as a vehicle for my art is the endless possibilities through interchanging letters, words and phrases; to express thoughts, ideas and concepts.  Lastly, it is also very important for me to express these ideas from my perspective as a woman.

Just as a literary piece is convincing when there is congruity and flow in the writing -- along with interesting ideas -- visual works of art, for me, become more engaging when they have a nice balance, rhythm and direction, along with a sincere thought process. This is how I relate my formal compositions with that of the literal and lyrical writings -- rearranged and restructured symbols, as purely lines and shapes. As a visual artist, I do not follow the rules of any language; my intention is to reconstruct the thought process.  Therefore, the text -- whether they are borrowed from works of great poets and philosophers or just from a common phrase -- become self-contained and dynamic visual objects. Although viewers may recognize familiar letters, words, or symbols from a particular language, however, the words in those artworks become indecipherable. My objective in choosing those words is to show the essence of their message through abstraction; by using overlapping shapes and lines which create tension and movement and stir up emotions.

Being a female artist with a multicultural back ground, my objective is to also represent women’s inherent right to be expressive in how and what they feel and think. Utilizing language from appropriated text and as a metaphor, my intention is to further push the idea of empowerment for women. In my work, many times those ideas are expressed as a musical note, a speech-bubble, a scream, or even as revolting as vomit.

While some of these art pieces depict calm and peace with gentle flows and soft curves to express the thought process; others express chaos through their sharp edges and diagonals. These visual compositions range from wall-mounted sculptures in organic forms to more cubic-looking geometric forms, from uplifting melodic spirals, to downward flowing, and meandering three-dimensional installations. The choice of colors and mediums are also used thoughtfully. For example, the transparency depicts the lucidity, whereas the pearlescent finish symbolizes the richness and rarity.  The use of resin, metal or any other material allows more freedom to experiment with the form as well as give a fresher look to see the text in a three-dimensional art form; as opposed to be drawn in two-dimension on paper.  The shadows created by the shapes of those symbols are also vital to the compositions as they add further depth behind the meaning of the phrases.

Language is the greatest invention in our evolutionary process, our civilization, our history, and most importantly in understanding who we as human beings are. Words and symbols -- either appropriated or one’s own, visual or literal -- are all forms of expression for me as an artist. It is this freedom of expression in a dynamic and visual form that I continue to take inspiration for my creative art process to express how I see, feel, and think.