Her gallery

The figure has become the vehicle of my visual language. The expressive potential of the figure allows me to portray personal narratives by bringing my inner vision into outer reality. Because of the inherent sensuality of clay, its plasticity, malleability, receptivity to applied texture, and the primitive earthiness, it becomes the perfect means to make tangible the dialogue of my concept and the making process. The product of this being figures that exude a sense of confidence and gesture, which echoes the ancient ideals of womanhood: fertility, sexuality, strength, and power. I strive to create female figures of strength and power, yet full of human emotion. This speaks of the spiritual power of the female as well as a deeply human vulnerability.

I have developed a personal iconography creating visual symbols, which enrich and facilitate the narrative. While working with the iconography, several symbols became more significant and vital to the narrative. I distorted the proportions of the figure in order to make the essential elements of the figure speak the narrative. Instinctively, I exaggerated the hands of the figure and in the same manner, minimized the head. The hand is a powerful metaphor for being human and the first tool before all other tools, both for us as individuals and for our species. We use our hands as a way of knowing and understanding the world; therefore, the hands became one of the most important, if not the most important, element in my figures. The small head represents "ego" and the enormity of being humble.

Traveling to Taiwan this past summer changed my spirit, inspired me, and influenced the way I approach my work. The figure has grown in concept in tandem with my personal growth. The feminine symbols that I work with, water, vessel, mother earth, hand mudras, symbols of self, and the mountain, have become outward manifestations reflecting the inward changes. I have approached the gesture of the figure, the narrative, expressed in a more minimalist way. By allowing the clay body to speak for itself, I only use color to accentuate an important element in the narrative.

My desire is to cultivate a personal conversation with the clay and the figure, and within this conversation to develop a greater understanding of my material and myself. It is through this knowledge that I intend to create work in an expressive and communicative way. My aim is for my work to resonate with the viewer while allowing the clay a voice.