Artist Statement

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My background as a physician gives me a unique perspective. I have studied the human body and the essential qualities that distinguishes a human being. My personal experience dealing with life, death, health and illness forms the context of my work. I have always been interested in communicating ideas through the human figure by manipulating form and materials to examine complex subjects. For instance, the transparent medium of epoxy in my sculpture Ghosting supports the exploration of superficial relationships and social media. Old Woman, in earthly terracotta, probes the social relevance of the aged and concepts such as harmony and intimacy are considered in Sacred Hour and Ecolibrium. My process of sculpture requires crafting a three-dimensional artwork that occupies space while employing materials and techniques that support the narrative. Examples include terracotta clay when reflecting organic origins of life utilized in my sculpture Newborn, or casted epoxy and plaster for more inorganic applications and theoretical concepts as seen in Leap of Faith. The scale and height of my work is varied. An intimate relationship with a small tabletop piece such as Displacement contrasts with Falling, a much larger hanging montage which invites the viewer to look from different perspectives and heights. While my sculptures are representational, I enjoy using allegory, metaphors, and ambiguity such as demonstrated in my sculpture Alone. The durable material of bronze relates to enduring concepts like Friendship which contrasts with fragile material like ceramic reflective of the fragility of life as seen in Vanitas. I will indeed work with any material that can be modeled, carved, sculpted or formed by hand. It is my philosophy that human life is complex and beautiful. It has many attributes that are at times in conflict and at other times in harmony. Life is at once fragile and enduring, changing and constant, personal and public and a balance of the contemporary and the traditional. I wish to portray these concepts with my sculptures using recognizable figurative language with an interplay of subtle deeper meaning achievable through contemplation.