Papyrus is my canvas
My work is first and foremost about celebrating the ethereal aspects of all life through photography, mixed media and collage. I'm fascinated with the ancient world and want to honor how we view it in contemporary art against the backdrop of social media and information technology.
I was ten years old when I first visited Egypt and discovered papyrus. I saw it hanging on the walls at the Egyptian museum and wanted to hold it in my hands and feel its folds, texture and form. The vibrant depictions of gods, pharaohs, and daily life displayed on papyrus carried stories from a world long gone, but still pulsed within me. I wanted to paint on it and feel the color. Papyrus as a surface represents humanity for me. Holding a sheet of papyrus feels like touching history itself. I must respect its fragility and resilience and honor the past through present eyes. Papyrus is more than just an artifact to me; it is a symbol of human creativity and the enduring power of storytelling.
Unlike the scribes of the past, I've chosen a camera instead of a brush and alternative photographic processes as my method. The Cyanotype process is meaningful to me because of its use in documenting seaweed and algae specimens in the 19th century affectionately known as 'flowers of the sea'. Anna Atkins blended art and science to create stunning images of plant and sea life that couldn't survive preservation out of the water.
My story is about preserving life and death, human and beyond. I invite the viewer to celebrate the timeless and resilient power that resides within each of us—the power to laugh, to remain curious, to confront fear, to endure pain, and, above all, to love.
