ARTIST STATEMENT:

As both a research scientist and an artist, I am interested in the ways the two disciplines inform each other. Through my experiences in the lab, I learned that revision is a central part of the scientific process; this understanding helped me rediscover the joy of painting as a process rather than only a finished product.

I believe biological systems have an inherent intricacy that is artistic in nature, and I hope to capture that aesthetic value in my work. I am motivated by the wonder I feel when I encounter these ideas and images in research, and I create to share that experience. Through my work, I aim to amplify the beauty in scientific imagery and emphasize the convergence of these two disciplines.

Across my portfolio, I consider how modern technology can reshape, preserve, or erode identities. My works explore changes in self-perception, which is a central theme of my research in neurodegeneration. Most pieces are self-portraits, which implicate my own identity directly in the science I depict. For example, in my 16x24in painting Pluripotent, I explore the multiple facets of my identity, as an artist, an athlete, and a scientist, through the image of a differentiating stem cell.

I have experimented with mixed media, collage, watercolor, oil painting, charcoal, and pastel, choosing each medium for how its qualities suit the concept behind a given piece. I employ a bright and diverse color scheme to emphasize the vibrancy of the scientific world that I hope to convey.