Rape has been the subject that has captivated me and empowered my voice as an artist. Throughout history, we have seen paintings of rape, traditionally done by men. Oftentimes, they are painted as a fantasy of rape from a man’s perspective and are not painted as an exploration of the emotional destruction that rape does to a woman. In my depictions of the female nude, I explore the haunted and violated life that occurs after a traumatic act, such as vulnerability, shame, guilt, unwanted touch, disgust, pain, loss of hope and the fear of another attack. 

I show the complexities that a victim must struggle through with layers and shapes with my figures designed as camouflage. I am intrigued by the concept of camouflage and what it means to hide one’s self, so the world won’t know your true identity. The use of my vines is a symbol that represents the terrifying path of healing and not being able to fully escape one’s path. In my embroideries, I depict portraits of survivors that force the viewer to stare and wonder. I create these intimate portraits as a remembrance for the survivors, who are ready to been seen again.

While my subject matter is heavily weighted, I tend to be pulled to artists with similar or a lighter message. I gather my inspiration in a way others have depicted the female nude, and I appropriate it to create my own narrative to allow the voice of the female to be heard through my concept and subject matter. I draw my inspiration from Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Max Beckmann, and Kathe Kollwitz and their depiction of the female nude. I contrast how the body has been depicted by others and infusing my own personal experience and passion. I create something new, intriguing, and powerful with my depiction of the female nude.