My work investigates the profound sense of place formed by the natural landscape. In my current body of work, Distilled Terrains, I explore the concept of reduction—refining the overwhelming complexities of the environment into its most vital colors, shapes, textures, and lines. By distilling the landscape into its essential elements, I invite viewers to look past the surface and connect with the deeper, underlying narrative of the land.
Walking is core to my artistic practice. As I move through the landscape, I position myself as a humble listener, deeply aware that this land holds layers of history and was long stewarded by indigenous tribes. I observe how colonization introduced boundaries, fences, and artificial divisions across once-borderless expanses. This tension between the natural and the imposed is reflected visually in my work through the geometric overlapping of horizons and shapes. Beneath these structured lines lie organic underlayers, rooting each piece in the physical reality of Oregon’s cultural and ecological landscape.
To embody this connection to the earth, my physical materials are directly tied to the places I study. I use natural earth pigments, which are either foraged onsite, exchanged with other artists, or sourced globally. I also collect local plants to create natural dyes for handmade Japanese papers, establishing a direct, physical relationship with the site. The complex ecological stories told by these local plants inspire me, offering a quiet reflection on the fragility and fate of our broader world. Through this integration of raw earth and deliberate form, I hope to offer viewers a deeper, more intentional way of seeing the landscape we inhabit.
