Hunt Residencies XI

Artist statement:

I am interested in the space between what we see and what we experience internally. My paintings explore solitude, perception, light, and the environments that shape our emotional lives.

My fascination with light began as a child. My father would often ask me, “How would you paint that?” as sunlight moved through the trees. I became captivated by the way light could transform an ordinary moment—revealing some things while hiding others. That curiosity continues to influence my work today.

I work primarily in oil, moving between figurative paintings and more tactile explorations of surface and texture. My Sandpaper Series grew from an early fascination with the mysterious patterns I saw when looking into darkness. The rough surface of sandpaper became a way to explore impermanence, spirituality, and the feeling that something exists just beyond what we can see.

My more recent paintings place solitary figures within environments that reflect their inner worlds. These figures are often quiet and contemplative, moving through spaces that can feel familiar yet psychologically distant. I am interested in how two people can occupy the same world while experiencing it completely differently.

Ultimately, I use painting as a way to slow down and look more closely. I hope my work creates a moment of stillness—an opportunity to consider the unseen parts of ourselves and the world around us.