ARTIST STATEMENT

The marks left on a person by a traumatic experience can be physical scars or painful memories. Because of the irreversibility of time, the trauma is almost impossible to completely heal. These wounds linger, and are part of our growth, just like the weathered formation of cracks on a rock and the layered textures on the birch tree. I form and fabricate the “skins” of rocks and birch bark, imitating natural forms as a reflection of human sentiment. Tree trunks and rocks have a density and a physical weight, but these hollow works are light and split open, revealing unexpected inner cavities.

By under-firing the enamel, I am able to describe the true texture and color of the natural surface. Rocks or sand can be melted to make glass, which is the main ingredient of enamel. Conversely, I melt enamel to make rocks. Natural rocks absorb heat slowly and dissipate slowly; These qualities of warmth and resonance are embedded into wearable objects that quietly evoke difficult subjects.

By bearing these objects on the body, I urge the wearer and audience to consider the new lightness of these burdens and propose new ways to move forward.