STATEMENT

 In early 2023 I began painting hands and their gestures after working with the figure for several years. They fill canvases, thus representing a shift in scale along with a new-found sensuality. Hands are expressive and fleshy and reflect human emotion, Hand gestures themselves can express an unlimited variety. A finger or knuckle may suggest a leg or arm and can make unpredictable shapes and spaces. It allows me a different kind of exploration into the interplay between light and forms. Backlighting, infused light or its strategic placement are examples. Through obscured identity, closely cropped hands and fragmented shadows, the paintings provoke a contemplation of the enigma of gesture.

My paintings are about light, form, and the female body. The paintings delve into a realm of embodiment and self-exploration. The strategic use of light patches both illuminate and obfuscate. I obscure my identity because the paintings are too revealing and leave me vulnerable though closely cropped anatomy, fragmented shadows, and blinding light, the paintings provoke contemplation of the multifaceted nature of identity and the enigmatic relationship between light and self. The work is explores the female figure as a vessel of expression and the profound interdependence between light and space and beckons viewers to reflect on the multifaceted nature of "the gaze" and the transformative potential of light.