Artist Statement / Bio

I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago whose practice operates within a framework of critical patriotism. Through this lens, I examine the systemic complexities of the American experience to uncover cultural common ground. 

 Heavily influenced by a rural upbringing in Arkansas working alongside my father, I contrast those early bucolic geographies with my current urban life. This spatial juxtaposition allows me to investigate the ideological fractures and contradictions embedded with the contemporary American landscape. 

My studio methodology is intentionally labor-intensive, serving as a materialist engagement with the craft, agency, and history of working-class communities. By utilizing diverse mediums - including oil painting, welding, marksmanship, and performance - I create an intermedial dialogue where industrial fabrication meets conceptual critique.  Through these processes I confront challenging historical realities, specifically the violent legacy of indigenous lands, and slave labor.

 Rather than succumbing to institutional cynicism, my work insist on radical, critical optimism, dissecting national flaws as a  necessary condition for a democratic, hopeful future.

I have a Bachelor of Social Work Degree and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. I am a current MFA candidate at Vermont College of Fine Arts in collaboration with CalArts.  Anticipated graduation date - July 2027.