Artist's Statement

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Glass animates me. While not the most forgiving of mediums, it is endlessly versatile.

I love the dichotomies and possibilities inherent in the material, not least because we

may be hidden or revealed in its facets, depending upon the play of light shifting over

the glass.

 

Although predominantly a glass artist, I also work with textiles, photography, found

objects, and mixed media. My art is informed by my background as both an adoptee

and a professional genealogist; it examines the nature of identity, including our origin

stories. How do we tell those stories? How are we impacted by our genetic history or

lived experiences? What makes us who we are?

 

I frequently create glass vessels as metaphors for those parts of ourselves we choose

to contain. Common motifs include twists, spirals, and Celtic knotwork. These are

integrated into blown glass by applying cane, by twisting the glass before blowing,

or by geometrically creating the effect when using other media. Twists and spirals

suggest the unexpected turns life throws at us, while knotwork implies the complexity

both of our personal journeys and of our interconnectedness to each other.

 

My work will continue exploring how we define ourselves and the ways in which these identities may diverge from stereotype, with the hope of helping viewers to see one

other more clearly once all façades are stripped away.