I explore and understand the world around me through art making: color, identity, and experience. I choose pink and blue, Russian and American, realism and abstraction. I have always struggled with labels, and my work embraces the contradictions and multiplicities that make up who I am.

Through my practice, I capture memories, and I rest, creating art that is both personal and universally resonant.

I am a painter and illustrator, sculptor and poet, who learned printmaking along the way, and have most recently been focusing on mural painting and art education. My compositions often feature the figure, whimsical animals, landscapes, and mythical figures, drawing inspiration from dreams, cultural folklore, and the balance between the real and imagined. For three years I worked on cyanotype prints, collaging them, and painting over them.

At the heart of my work is experimentation. I like to juggle mediums in innovative ways, reflecting my natural inclination to play. Material knowledge is key for my artwork’s impact. Knowing when to use oil paint to capture an idea, or exterior house paint, versus unleashing a chalk drawing until the next rain fall, is part of my conceptual framework. I’m learning what material I need to depict, convey and process my idea. The many kinds of mediums and surfaces I work on reinforce my dedication to exploration. My materials reflect longevity and impermanence, stillness and transformation, sweet memories and bitter ones.

Beyond studio practice, I am committed to community and education. I have created public murals, exhibited in solo and group shows, been published in art journals, and taught art classes to students of all ages. For me, creativity is not only a personal practice but also a tool for connection, empowerment, and joy.