Artist Statement

I am a queer, trans artist originally from the DC area, and currently living in Philadelphia. I have lived with epilepsy for almost 20 years and struggled with my mental health my whole life. It has been a long journey to learn how to manage my mental and physical health, but I have learned to manage my stress in healthy ways. One of those ways is expressing myself creatively through my photography.

While I have always been drawn to photographing nature, I am exploring new realms with my photography. These photographs use a technique known as “Water Drop Collision Splash Art”. These photos were taken with high-speed photography and special equipment, along with a mixture of water, paint, and food thickener. Each photo captures the instant that two drops of water collide in mid-air—one coming from the top, and one coming from the bottom. The beauty of these images to me is that no two will ever be the same—just like snowflakes. The drops collide, and they form whatever design they wish in that moment—it is not predictable at all. I also find it fascinating that it’s like a Rorschach Test—everyone sees something different. I have named the photos based on what I see—but what do you see? There is no wrong answer!

It’s important to me to keep pushing myself to try new things in my art and in my life. When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, the first doctor I saw told me that “You have to be boring now.” What I think he meant was that I should have a healthy routine to manage my health—but that’s not what he said. I vowed that my life would never be “boring,” as he put it, and it isn’t at all. There will always be people who try to tell you who you are, who you should be, and/or what your limitations are—we have to make the choice to be who we are and stand by that no matter what, and that is what I try to do every day.

Art