Artist Statement

          I make two types of artwork: comics and paintings. 

          I make comics because I like making people happy. In a world as dark and depressing as our own, where kindness and hope are in short supply, I believe that genuine happiness takes a lot of bravery. To me the strongest people are those who understand the violence and injustice in the world, but still choose to stand up to it with optimism and hope. I hope that my humor shows others that it’s okay to be brave; it’s okay to laugh; it’s okay to be happy.
          When I sit down to think of comic ideas, I can never come up with anything funny. Instead, comic ideas like to hit me randomly during my daily life. Right now, I’m currently working on a series about aliens who are studying humans, and they comment on how bizarre human daily lives are. Using aliens lets me see familiar human experiences from an outside perspective, which helps me find humor in everyday things.

          My paintings take a different approach. I’m currently using cartoony animals to explore the theme of conformity. I want to capture the universal pressure to fit in, but I want to do so in a lighthearted way. Bright colors, funny visuals, and comedic characters are my favorite way to promote a message, and I like the juxtaposition between simple, childish visuals and a dark complex subject matter.
          When workshopping this idea, chameleons seemed to be the perfect way to explore my theme. Seeing an animal that’s usually so concerned with blending in failing to do so was a really fun concept I couldn’t resist drawing. I want the viewer to relate to both types of chameleons: on one hand, the pressure to conform is impossible to resist, and following the crowd is simple and easy. On the other hand, sometimes it’s impossible to conform, and I wanted the viewer to understand that universal feeling of embarrassment or anxiety that the stand-out chameleon portrays.
          But now that I’ve explored this concept a little bit, I’ve gotten curious about whether I can draw other animals that use camouflage like zebras or octopi. As I develop this theme, I’m also working on including tessellations into my work. The use of interlocking shapes will help me explore conformity in a whole new visual way. Although I usually work in acrylic paint and POSCA Pen for this body of work, I also want to try experimenting with other media like sculpture, digital media, or sewing to see how that impacts my theme.