Carapace 2018-Present

Carapace is the protective shell of many insects, turtles, arachnids, and crustaceans.  A majority of these animals shed this skin or “molt” in order to expand their bodies beyond the constraint of the previous, rigid exoskeleton.  Relating this process to human experience, this body of work is about the shedding of previous beliefs, notions of identity, and other cultural barriers in order to grow and change.  This metamorphosis is both liberating and terrifying in life and in its imitation: Art. Using discarded material, parts from nature, and personal artifacts, I try to balance the vulnerable beauty of raw textures with soft colors to express this emotional process.  Evolution and history are heavy themes in this work. These subjects add further evidence that transformation is our natural state.

From the beginning we have been changing, and art allows us to individually question, struggle, flex, and molt to become more empathetic, collaborative people.