“Aliveness”
My work is a reflection of my profound interest in alive human beings and
nature. I define “aliveness” as the quality of having great energy, passion,
and interest.
Alive humans are my favorite models in art and in life. I have chosen to
portray these people so that their intensity can be felt, and so they can
remind the viewer and myself that it is best to be alive when one is living.
I have found that dance is one of the best representations of aliveness.
Even if a person is not physically dancing, one can dance in the way they
speak, breathe, think, or express their face.
Aliveness can be seen in nature too. Blades of grass dance as the wind blows.
The way that branches grow and reach out to the sky is a dance as well.
Nature is endlessly inspiring with her moving lines, shapes, and patterns.
Patterns, in general, are an obsession of mine. At every moment, my eyes
are searching for them—in clothes, buildings, films, magazines, the internet,
nature, and in human nature. I am also always working on a pattern. My latest
artworks incorporate this fixation.
Most of my “alive” pieces are expressed with ink drawings because I like
the aesthetic quality of detailed line work. Also, line drawings can attempt
to mirror the intricacy of nature—like the lines in a leaf or the fur on
an animal.
As I make this work, I think of my mother. She is one of the most alive
persons I know. She is contagiously enthusiastic and constantly overflowing
with creative ideas. She is also strongly tied to nature, as her green thumbs
are well tuned to its rhythms. My love for patterns is also linked to my
mother and her love of textiles from all different cultures. Despite the
struggle with her illness, my mother remains cheerful, optimistic, and extremely
inspiring. When I am working, I frequently hear her in my head bursting,
“Life is fascinating.” My goal is to visually communicate this message.
