The path leading me into the art world is not a common story. I did not take art classes throughout middle or high school, instead I chose to study dental sciences as my extracurricular. My focus in the dental studies led me down a path of becoming a dental lab technician. As a result my initial appreciation for craft and technical skills were acquired through this avenue, by studying, interning and working as a dental lab technician. Through these studies I learned many fabrication processes and production techniques. Regularly being trained how to use new materials, tools and technologies kept me continuously learning and growing my technical capability as a maker, with attention to detail and precision being the main acquirement. I enjoy making what is what led me into the lab in the first place, but I felt I could do more with these skills that would be more fulfilling to me. Aspiring to use what I had learned in the la in a meaningful, personal and creative ways led me back into school and into the studio.
As I begin a work I am inspired by my emotions, creating work that allows me to express myself in a way that I can not with words. I prefer abstraction to realism: this is because I abstraction allows me to be more expressive. Creating works that take me away from reality becomes my happy place. As I make I am filled with a sense of invigoration, confidence and fluid creativity that transcends me into my own world. I work with mostly ceramic and metals, although I utilize various other materials to convey the feeling I am expressing in a specific piece. Experimenting and finding myself through materials processes and creating has become an important part of my life. When I make I rarely know what my work is about, I am merely expressing myself and what I am feeling at that moment. It takes me time of reflection to truly realize what the meaning behind my work is. Allowing myself to make personal connections with my work that others can relate to has become a relevant aspect of my practice. I prefer and enjoy creating utilitarian objects. This is because utilitarian objects they play a special role in everyday life which is normally overlooked. I have been told that when you drink out of a hand thrown mug, it is like, “shaking hands with the maker,” and I could not agree more with this statement. GIving the viewer something to detach themselves from reality with, even for just a second has significant meaning to me. As an artist, my goal is to create a piece that is an escape or evokes emotion with transcends to the viewer. An essential part of my creative practice is connection through human experiences and emotions through senses, this being one of the main reasons I gravitate towards creating utilitarian objects.
Say I am creating a coffee mug that is so thin the heat travels right through the ceramic. This piece is beautifully textured that begs to be held and appreciated. This specific vessel feels comfortable in your hand, with countless contours that make it enjoyable to hold. This coffee mug looks harmless and welcoming but nevertheless when you use this vessel to drink hot coffee for the first time, you will quickly learn its looks are deceiving because of the thinness of the ceramic allows the heat to travel so easily it extremely unpleasant to use. A metaphor for lust, something you know you should avoid, something that if you come close to will hurt you. The complex feelings of life, about being human and the emotions we all as humans experience is what my creations comment on. Inspired by my emotions and what I am personally dealing with at the time of a pieces creation is how my work come to fruition. When I am in the studio on a bad day the work I create may be large and heavy, communicating the weight I feel on my shoulders. On a good day I may craft a thin, light, playful vessel. The physical nature of throwing on a potter's wheel is therapeutic for me. This practice leads me to realize things about myself I would not if it was not for engaging in this activity. Crafting works helps me to communicate and connect with others by expressing myself and feelings through visual and material that I would not be able to accomplish otherwise.