Artist's Statement

My sculptures explore our human tendencies to cast judgments and form limiting beliefs and invite the viewer to challenge their perceptions, thereby broadening connections to place and community.

I demonstrate this through the story of society’s relationship with common urban ‘weeds’ and ‘invasives’. They are often labeled as problems to be eradicated  but these warrior plants not only pioneer and regenerate inhospitable soils that have been disturbed due to human activity, but they are also underutilized sources of food and medicine. These plants surround us in urban landscapes and allow us the opportunity to foster relationships and positive associations with our surroundings. 

My process starts with simply getting to know the places these plants call home—along roadsides, beneath power lines, around construction sites. After harvesting them and photographing their environment, I felt, weave, or wrap the plants with different fibrous materials. The sculptures that emerge are lush, balanced forms that challenge the way these plants are usually seen. Their surfaces pulse with texture and terrain- sometimes wandering, sometimes ordered- mapping both my physical journey and the act of placemaking itself. The photographic elements invite the viewer into the intimate spaces these plants inhabit, while touches of gold and copper hint at a higher frequency, a place of paradox and harmony we could all stand to hang out in more often.