Artist Statement
(Above video: "LEXUS x DANKO")
Philosophically, my art is an anthem to the unfettered creative expression we hold in our formative years – when testing limits through play, risk, and wonder were integral to our developing understanding of the world around us. In youth life is met with a sense of awe through spontaneity and curiosity. My own childhood days were filled with monster battles, ghost riding bikes into oblivion, and reenacting last-second game-winning shots on repeat. These fragments of the past, along with a tapestry of life experiences, are shelved away until random imagery, sounds or smells spark the memory of a passing moment in time. Taking visual cues from the infusion of communication design omnipresent in everyday American life, I hope to reignite these sparks.
Visually, my work juxtaposes classic oil realism against a backdrop of vibrant graphic elements on panels that often extend beyond conventional rectangular shapes. This approach is informed by my time spent working in graphic design and advertising. My sculptural and multidimensional paintings are composed of shapes, patterns, and ephemera from breakfast cereals, to sports, to fashion and everything in between. Objects like a LEGO brick or an Air Jordan sneaker become peripheral elements of inspiration. I present these themes as a shared history in joy and wonder. By transforming collected moments into monuments drawn from our collective unconscious, I aim to remind us how lived experience and visual culture shape identity—and how the impulse to play continues to inspire curiosity and drive.