my statement

My art is a reflection of my mind reconnecting to a moment in time. Painting, to me, became my therapy and helped me heal from PTSD. My unique childhood and upbringing in Hawaii and moving to the mainland gave me both memories and challenges that both heavily influenced the art I created today. Artists such as Van Gogh and Edvard Munch inspired me to express my strong emotions I often internalize onto a blank canvas. Growing up in Hawaii for 17 years, I took a strong interest in history, culture, religion and mythology. Hawaiian mythology and other mythological history revolving around feminine idols and goddesses became a huge inspiration in my artwork. Along with mythological elements, I’ve explored different techniques and genres. I’ve explored textural, mixed media, using aspects of expressionism and abstract art in order to convey whatever was in my heart. My artwork is my emotional and spiritual growth. Some artworks that I’ve considered as “shadow work” utilizes more abstract and mixed media than my “light work” counterparts. My time here in Nevada, my childhood in Hawaii, the festivals I’ve been to, the memories I’ve created with my partner became a huge influence on my “light work” art. My imagination comes alive, using acrylic paint and acrylic markers creating multiple bright colors, feminine figures, and elements of fantasy and nature, as if bringing my own mythical world to life, expressing my self-love and my gratitude for the wonderful times I have experienced in the past. Through every piece I have worked on and finished, I learned more about who I am, deepening the relationship with myself. All the artwork I have created so far has one simple message to convey: art can heal and create beauty from pain.