"Ceramics hold the history of how it is molded; fingerprints, dents, and movement are immortalized through firing clay. This property of clay parallels how the body hold trauma. I create mixed media and ceramic forms influenced by my symptoms of PTSD. The visuals I incorporate are both narrative and autobiographical: referencing my memories and environments.Ceramic vessels are utilitarian and made for containment. I cut into the form to undermine its function in the same way that mental illness interrupts systems of function and undermines self-value that is tied to these systems. The ceramic forms are coated with acrylic paint. I used muted and neutral colors and abstract referenced images through the addition of tessellations: repeating shapes and patterns. The surface of the raw, fired clay is layered and subjects are obscured. The painterly quality of brushstrokes and the abstraction of recognizable images represent the symptoms of memory loss and disassociation that I experience. The alteration of images and forms reflect how trauma has affected my perception of “self” and identity. I am compelled to create this series of work because it allows me to investigate a part of my life I am still struggling to understand."

Camera Roll. Acrylic on wheel thrown white stoneware. Dimensions vary. 2022