Tectonic Plates, Oil on Gallery Canvas, 48x36 inches, 2022

2022 August

During my daily run I kept passing by a neighbourhood house that had these amazing sunflowers which were larger and taller than me. I was fascinated that the round central part was as big as my face. I asked the owner for permission to photograph the most intriguing ones and set to work in the studio. Into the painting I incorporated human figures from past life drawing sessions.

I began with the idea that humans are organic like foliage, ever-changing depending on the immediate environment. During the production process I was alternately painting and reading a geography textbook. I realized that the forms taking shape on my canvas subconsciously reflected the irrigation, flow systems and bodies of ocean water that I was reading about.

In addition, geography is also about human geography; I was looking to incorporate more than one culture into my work to more accurately reflect people around the globe. After analyzing all of the photos available to me in picture books, textbooks and in previous sketches available to me in my house, I decided that identity is a very complex concept and must be treated with utmost respect and reflection; the sunflowers, to me, represent both art history (like Van Gogh) and hope for the future–sunflowers always rotate toward the sun, a life-giving force.