While the tradition of Western easel painting is rooted in illustrating religious and political events, I’m more interested in how the act of painting alters what we see. It is a paradox: the attempt to depict something accurately often results in an image marked by awkward charm or quiet humor.

   I use the language of traditional painting not to achieve accuracy, but to explore how perception filters reality. An image enters through the eyes and exits through the hand— altered. I find meaning in the gap between observation and execution.   

   My subjects come from current events and personal memories. A still life of food from my refrigerator, a strange photo from a news article, or a study of a loved one in my living room— each becoming something less literal and more metaphysical. I’m interested in how the mundane can be elevated through a classical approach, how an intimate or overlooked moment can take on new weight when mediated through the painted surface.