Artist Statement

I want to share my experiences, intense memories and strong passions throughout my body of work to bring a modern indigenous perspective to the art world. Growing up in rural Alaska surrounded by immense wilderness and nature, I have always been drawn to the beauty of art. From using grass stains on wood porches to create simple imagery as a child to being exposed to traditional methods of creating art as an adult, these various memories are what shaped me into the artist I am today. Seeped in emotion and memories, my work aims to embody these moments and feelings at different points in my life.

Within my practice I create fictional environments in space and time, often referencing the real world to evoke strong emotions from sadness to hope. My work is deeply rooted within storytelling while drawing from my own life stories and personal experiences. Storytelling as an Alaska Native/Dena’ina Athabascan person is important to me as an artist, especially within my work as it has strong ties to my culture. While growing up I felt that there was a lack of indigenous artists within the art world, so I want to create and inspire the younger generations of the future. There is a narrative and story for each painting, usually formed during my creative process. These works take form within watercolor, ink, graphite and acrylic paint. Watercolor as a medium within my work embodies the fluidity of life and change, because often things don’t usually work out how you want them to. Which can sometimes for the best. I’m also interested in layers of pigment, ranging from barely tinted to incredibly saturated. Detail is also a crucial element within my work. By carefully implementing a mass amount of objects and imagery, the audience can tell more about the narrative than before.

 Heavily inspired by 21st century American animated television shows such as Adventure Time, BoJack Horseman and Over the Garden Wall, my practice focuses on storytelling in reference to and reflection on my Alaskan Native culture and experiences. Animated television series have been a constant inspiration for my work, rooted in my social anxiety and introverted tendencies. There are a lot of memories I have of crying or laughing with fictional characters due to spending a lot of time alone. Being the only kid my age growing up didn’t offer a lot of social interaction and I have always felt awkward around other people. Living in a village of about one hundred people provides a plethora of problems one usually would not think about, and some of them I’m still trying to work through. Inspired by the rawness of BoJack Horseman and Over the Garden Wall, my work is therapeutic for working through these emotions I struggle with. Storytelling is a way to preserve historical, cultural, and social elements, and I want to share these stories.