Mind, Body, and Soul: Relinquished

My body of work combines acrylic portraiture and analysis of old photographs and mementos from childhood to explore themes of relinquishment trauma, changes in identity, and how the body holds onto and responds to memories.
My paintings explore the complex intersection of my early placement into an adoptive family and the subsequent intertwining of my biological family with my adult life. With the recent whirlwind of discovering my biological family informing my emotional approach to these paintings, I have turned to looking back on memories from when I was young to inform the physical compositions of the art. Initial sketches, archival photographs, and frequent physical and digital collages serve as the scaffolding for my practice, allowing me to translate emotional shorthand into a cohesive visual language.