Artist Statement

I am a Biology major and a Studio Art minor who grew up a few miles from the coast of Southern California. I’ve loved animals, especially killer whales, since childhood. My future plans include becoming a veterinarian and hopefully working either in a traditional animal hospital or with “exotics.”

I’ve worked in ceramics sculpture for about seven years starting in high school. Then one of my early works, a stork named Junior with a broken arm, travelled for a year to four art shows around Orange County, CA including the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts. Since my early days, I’ve repeatedly tried to give up ceramics but once again returned to the medium nearly three thousand miles from my hometown, here at Stony Brook University.

Over the past few years, I have explored a broad range of ceramic hand-building techniques before finding my current place in the construction of geometric shapes. My pieces feature these shapes, or elements of them, which are used as a juxtaposition with more realistic, streamlined shapes of marine animals or as loose interpretations of protein structures. As a result, differences between these themes bridge the gap between science and art. One of my emerging interests has been experimenting with the development of different ceramic glazes and finishes to complement my pieces. These glazes are designed to mimic the colors and flow of water. I also aim to create unique glossy finishes that help to define geometric shapes by breaking over their sharp edges.

Stony Brook University Senior Seminar Undergraduate Online Art Exhibition Spring 2020