Artist Statements

Oil Painting:

I paint imagined scenes of ethereal characters navigating a dreamlike urban environment where mystical imagery and the mundane ephemera of modernity collide. Lines between reality and myth are blurred, at times literally abstracted, breaking down the strict categorical confines of contemporary life. The injection of natural, spiritual, and deeply personal elements into anonymous, mass-produced, common settings creates a palpable irony. This sardonic element, born from the incongruity of mysticism and modernity, highlights a certain spiritual dissonance in present society, and exploring that tension is a driving factor in my work.

My process begins by loosely sketching images which spontaneously appear in my psyche using graphite pencils on paper. As a coherent composition begins to take shape, I detangle the images for meaning. This analysis continues into the painting process, where the initial sketch is adapted to oil paint on canvas. The slow drying time of oil paint allows me to reflect on my work as it’s happening and adjust my composition as new ideas occur. On occasion, an idea for a painting may spark from a photograph, in which case I edit and warp the image during the drawing/painting process to adapt it into my world.

There are many artists, both modern and historical, who inspire and inform my work. My process is influenced by the Symbolist painters of the late 19th century, who plumbed their subconscious in pursuit of universal truths. I also have an affinity for David Lynch and Edward Hopper, who masterfully captured the uncomfortable aspects of domestic American life in a way which resonates with my approach and experience. Japanese anime also inspires me, particularly in how Studio Ghibli presents spiritual presences as ambivalent, and how mangaka create unique character and world designs with hopes of producing identifiable aesthetics within a preexisting framework. And finally, I hold deep admiration for William Blake, whose visionary works stood defiantly against the rationalism of his era. These artists, among many others, embolden me to pursue my own creative truths with conviction.

Blonds (songwriting):

I write, produce, and perform music as Blonds, a moniker which originates from my now-defunct high school indie band “The Blondes” (we all had blonde hair). Having been taught guitar and cello at a young age, other instruments came naturally. As a teenager, I began exploring Logic Pro X, a professional digital audio workstation software which essentially functions as a more complex version of Garage Band, so that by the time I was in high school I was able independently produce demo recordings for my band. Following the dissolution of The Blondes sometime around 2016, I adopted the name “Blonds” for myself and began independently producing music which was not limited by the confines of a band. The intoxicating freedom of total autonomy combined with modern software’s limitless capabilities has kept me passionately creating new music to this day.

Both in terms of tone and genre, the Blonds catalogue has many turns, including rock, dance, folk, and experimental works. However, there is a consistency in the personal nature of the songwriting as well as recurring flavors of yearning and sardonicism. The maxim of Blonds is total freedom, but I am not necessarily interested in exploring all aspects of music making. For example, I have no interest in using AI tools, as I believe that good music consists of, amongst many other qualities, novelty and human error, which run contrary to the use of AI (at least at in its current state). That being said, anything is possible, because the unpredictability of the next project, even for myself, is fundamental to Blonds.