Artist Statement
Regardless of art being passively present as a kid, I ended up studying aviation. While dealing with this stereotypical decision, my honesty, intuition, and spontaneity from childhood were deteriorating. Since I quit aviation and moved to the U.S, my work questions cultural roles, stereotypes, and identity uncertainties. I explore in a fantasy world whatever remains of my genuine self while I “grow up” and adapt to society. Incorporating the only toy remaining in adulthood: imagination.
Mainly inspired by childhood memories such as cartoons, music, toys, etc., I paint colorful self-portraits or imagined alter egos inhabiting dark intimate interior spaces. Like my room, where ironically, I overthink about the external real-world anxieties such as acceptance, gender roles, and self-image. Through fragmentation and deconstruction of the figure, I build ironic and contradictory passages representing my discomfort and joy as an adult. Also reminding me how our identity is distorted and threatened by social standards as we age, such as the metaphorical masks we wear in order to fit within the norm and expectations. Repeatedly making me wonder: what does it even mean to be my real self at this point?
