Artist Statement
I create wearable objects, sculpture, and jewelry out of precious and non-precious materials. These works are influenced by elaborate jewelry and metalwork of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Victorian periods, specifically silver toiletry beautification objects, lockets, containers, and make-up items. Historical influences are then combined with contemporary ideas on glamour and beauty drawn from the media, advertisements, and various packaging and marketing strategies for make-ups, remedies, and other lotions and potions. The surfaces of these objects are often ornate and decorative, inspired by patterns found in wall papers, decorative ironwork, lace, and crochet.

The work humorously and subtly addresses current beautification and body alteration obsessions as well as methods of material glamorization popular in society today. The use of mirrors references vanity and humankind’s obsession with appearance. The pairing of these mirrors with decorative patterns and flesh like rubber physically pulls the viewer into the piece, and the rubber acts as a patterned skin that mimics bodily transformation. Large gems, feathers, lace, and fur are materials that have been deemed glamorous and sexy for centuries. In order to signify that these pieces are valuable and precious I often work with materials such as silver, gold, jewels, pearls, and lustrous fabrics; which, throughout time have indicated social status and rank, and also reference traditional as well as historical jewelry and metalwork.