Artist's Statement
Art is not the absolute of existence — we can all survive without it. I value art’s enhancement of life through aesthetics, so I choose to focus on the existential rather than trends in art. In addition, none of my paintings should express overwhelming joy or melancholy. Life has ups and downs – my work reflects that. Emotion is present in my work, so I always return to a painting after I get distance from it to remove traces of negativity or extreme happiness. To do this, I “destroy” a canvas by painterly gesture and welcomed accidents, then rescue it with more controlled marks later on. My painting is self-expressive, but because of my whole experience, not just one emotion. I keep my work universal, or at least universal to our culture.