Artist Statement

For many years I’ve considered myself a multimedia artist. There’s just so many fascinating and wonderful practices out there that I find I’m not satisfied with just one avenue. Originally trained as a 3D animator, I found the practice soured for me quickly. Without being able to draw or manipulate the model with my hands, I found it very frustrating to continue with. I began switching to other mediums while I continued strengthening my drawing abilities. I sought solidarity in fiber arts and produced art dolls of varying shapes and sizes, which I call Omni Dolls.

Born from a simple doodle done in high school, over the years they have taken on a life of their own. Consisting of a yarn ball head with button eyes, stitched together bodies and pipe cleaner limbs, they invoke a cute but creepy aesthetic in the same vein as Coraline or the movie 9. I often find inspiration in their designs from my own autistic mind and hyper fixations. They can be molded and shaped into just about anything; from food to established characters, concepts and even pride flags.

Upon returning to school, I took the basic form of the Omni Doll and played with it. Producing the form in many different ways: from jewelry, to glass and sculpture, to animation. The first Omni Doll, Robbie, was the basis for most of these. While exploring how I could reimagine Robbie, I discovered other subjects in both my glass, sculpture and jewelry work. My other pieces saw subjects both bright and colorful as well as dark and decrepit. A pattern often reflected in my own life experiences.

Inspired by artists like Kim Cridler and Judith Schaechter, I want to emulate their scope and scale in my own work. Perhaps even surpass it. I hope to in the future combine these mediums into something no one’s ever seen before. I have a rough vision for an MFA piece that I tentatively call The Storm. It is a piece that encompasses the journey of my life as a neurodivergent, navigating the world through different hardships and triumphs. I would like for it to include both old and new art that has sustained me mentally through it all. A testament to the strength of both myself and others like me, while not hiding the struggles we face. In a world trying to demonize and erase autism, erase queer and transpeople, I want to show that we’re not only here to stay but a force to be reckoned with.