Statement

I have aphantasia, which is the inability to visualize mental imagery. Specific characteristics become hard to imagine, and past events turn into a vague blur. Because of this, my creative process is majority observation; sitting still and staring for periods of time. I rely on these observations to explore what lies beyond imagining a subject, drawing it, and then seeing how accurate it is. I do not see my condition as a limit, but as a tool to create more intimate work that blends memory and perspective with fact.

A fleeting moment of a person moving, or a long, drawn-out scene of a still life that I set myself are my main subjects when making art. My work captures those events through gestures and the process of going from the general to the specific, replicating my observations and thoughts onto paper and canvas. I also take a considerable amount of time into deciding on a composition; either leading the viewer’s eye around the work, creating a picture plane into a three-dimensional space for the viewers to step inside, or cropping areas to address both negative and positive spaces.

These practices aid me in documenting moments in time from the perspective of how I remember the world. It helps me understand myself in ways my mind cannot, bringing the viewers along the ride. Instead of letting my aphantasia hinder my process, it bleeds into what I know, creating something new out of the fragmented memories and feelings I hold.