Born in 1985 in Mountain View, NC, I earned a BFA from UNCC Charlotte and an MFA from UFL in 2014. After relocating to South Florida, I showcased work at the Girls Club Collection, Norton Museum of Art, MOCA North Miami, and Miami Light Box. Notable installations include "Soft Sanity" (2019) and "Welcome to You&Me" (2019), created for neurodiverse children. Residencies at Oolite Arts, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and a regional Emmy for "The Texture of Anxiety" followed. Supported by a Knight Arts New Work Award, I debuted a quilt-composed video game and installation at Locust Projects in 2023.
My art features sewn textiles of mainly non-human figures, inspired by creatures from cosmic horror stories and hallucinatory experiences to embody mental health struggles. I aim to create a comforting atmosphere to approach themes of fear and anxiety.
I’m based in Miami, FL, and am represented by Emerson Dorsch Gallery.
I create ambiguous creatures that engage with the audience, embodying anxiety and depression. These creatures appear formless to represent uncertainty by defying categorization such as limbs that combine tree trunks, talons, and hands. Using comforting textiles, these creatures have taken the form of costumes, inflatables, and quilted pieces. I construct interactive environments such as video games or installations to feature them.
With inviting quilted textures, I create an approachable atmosphere. By simulating supernatural encounters, I provide visual metaphors for navigating mental health complexities. My work is sensory-inclusive, creating soundscapes and allowing touch so audiences can feel comfortable with uncertainty.
These forms act as mental illness avatars, friendly doomsday creatures that manifest uncertainty. I aim to create a soothing atmosphere with the unknown, helping to settle feelings of avoidance and denial. Influenced by depictions of otherness—from H.P. Lovecraft's tales to ghost and alien abduction stories, and reports of hallucinatory experiences—I mimic supernatural-like encounters to reflect the unknowable and ambiguity within ourselves.
Growing up in rural North Carolina, I experienced a community where local lore embraced uncertainty, yet expressions of mental illness were met with resistance. This contradiction influences my work and drives my desire to challenge stigmas and foster a broader understanding of mental health complexities.
