My inclination for hyperbole and psychological depth unfolds in a mythopoetic journey captured through an expanding series of indirect self-portraits and observational works. This evolving collection of paintings, drawings, and mixed media pieces explores the intricacies of survival, resilience, and the human drive to reach beyond mere existence. It delves into the unspoken struggles of exhaustion, longing for rest, and the relentless pursuit of hope and dreams amid overwhelming obstacles.

Through a subtle, non-verbal narrative, I reimagine friends and acquaintances by merging images inspired by both observation and imagination. These works quietly tell a story of disenchantment, capturing a sense of disillusionment and an agnostic outlook amid the digital age’s decadence and existential unease. They seek transcendence not in purity, but in the pursuit of virtue within imperfection and the delicate, mortal self—becoming a vivid, poetic reflection on presence.

This presence emerges as a byproduct of an artistic practice devoted to the pursuit of severe beauty, embracing an aesthetic of imperfection that mirrors the inherent nature of matter and memory. Everything ages, wears, and decays, yet remains suspended in the mythical timelessness of the medium—still but never silent. The work stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, finding beauty and meaning in the struggle to survive, dream, and thrive despite the weight of exhaustion.

To that end, my current body of work (under the umbrella series title "flock") examines the turbulent relationship between Catholicism and popular culture, particularly as it relates to my own parochial education. These pieces lightly touch on the psychological and physical abuse I endured, as attempts were made to enforce outdated gender norms and modes of expression, pressuring me to conform.

The artworks juxtapose religious imagery with pop culture motifs, prompting viewers to consider how these policies impact individuality and freedom of expression. Beyond critiquing the oppressive aspects of parochial schooling and the broader repressive trends driven by late-stage capitalism, nationalism, and the erosion of formal education, these works call attention to the wider ramifications of censorship and abuse.

Through this lens, my work aligns with Hegel’s understanding of art as a vital means of comprehending our humanity. If philosophy and religion serve to articulate truth in abstraction, art embodies that truth in a sensuous form—giving weight and visibility to the otherwise invisible forces shaping our existence. In a world where digital saturation erodes our ability to connect meaningfully with reality, art remains an essential act of resistance.

Hegel saw art as a reconciliation between pure thought and the sensuous, an absolute need through which human beings externalize their consciousness and bring themselves into self-awareness. My work embodies this necessity, confronting the dystopian anxieties of our era—where ideological control, commodified identity, and the decay of critical thought demand new forms of visual testimony. Art, in its capacity to manifest the eternal struggles of freedom and oppression, becomes an urgent language in a time of moral and existential drift.

In this way, my practice affirms that art is not merely an aesthetic pursuit but a crucial means of reclaiming agency. It serves as a mode of survival, a resistance against the suffocating forces that seek to homogenize thought and erase the nuances of personal history. In capturing the dissonance between tradition and modernity, between control and autonomy, my work calls upon art’s eternal role—to make visible the structures that govern us, to expose their weight, and ultimately, to carve a space for freedom.