Artist Statement & BIO

Through encaustic paintings; interactive sculpture and audio/video installations; and workshops, I address urgent contemporary social issues.

Core to my artistic practice is connecting with art and communities— inspiring people of diverse cultures, ages and walks of life to engage with art, share stories, and consider how art relates to their lives.

Canadian-born, I recently discovered that I come from over ten generations of human rights activists, philosophers, rabbis, artists and refugees—engaging with questions about identity, sexuality, spirituality and social change. This too fuels my work.

Encaustic painting, practiced by Greek artists as far back as the 5th century B.C, evolves through successive layers of molten beeswax, each fused to the previous one with a torch or iron. An active partner in my process, beeswax asserts itself texturally and sculpturally as I paint, layer, fuse, scrape, and re-work. This medium also embodies the multiple layers of meaning and symbolism in my work. I am inspired by global mythology, spirituality, psychology and philosophy, particularly stories and images of archetypal females, addressing the roles and expectations of women.

Eyeing Medusa celebrates visionary contemporary women of all ages, orientations, cultures and walks of life making a difference in our world today. Each painting’s title and story parallels a legendary heroine with a contemporary woman. By fusing the past with the present, I invite viewers to look at women in a new light and consider these artworks as a means to illuminate and address urgent contemporary social issues such as the health pandemic; the global increase in racist and sexual assaults on women, LGBTQ2S+ and people of colour; the undermining of women’s rights; and our looming environmental crisis. I paint faces, recognizable yet abstracted, closeup, so the viewer can look into their eyes without distractions and feel what remarkable people they are. In this way, I challenge traditional representations of women in art which normalize objectification and violence against women. Each painting links via QR code to dedicated pages on my website illuminated with relevant historical art masterpieces linking to galleries worldwide; community resources, references, and videos. 

The exhibition is named for Medusa, the archetypal wronged-woman of Greek mythology. Torn from her spiritual path, raped, blamed, banished and ultimately beheaded, Medusa’s story echoes that of countless women throughout history. While her monstrous rage and debilitating grief petrifies all who look upon her, viewing Medusa is possible via a mirror. Eyeing this ancient wild/wise woman requires facing our own fears, culpability and difficult questions— so that we may recognize and stop perpetuating unhealthy beliefs and behaviours. Ultimately I believe that Eyeing Medusa can shift perspectives and change historically toxic narratives by focusing on respect, empowerment and self-actualization. 

I have exhibited and performed in art galleries, museums, concert venues and festivals throughout Asia, North America and Europe including: National Gallery of Canada; Yilan Performing Arts Center, Taiwan; Singapore International Arts Festival; Canadian Embassy in Tokyo; Edmonton Art Gallery; World Trade Centres, Taipei and Barcelona; Royal Ontario Museum; Art Gallery of Ontario; Art Gallery of Algoma; Thunder Bay Art Gallery; Art Gallery of Peterborough; MacLaren Art Centre; Orillia Museum of Art & History; The Robert McLaughlin Gallery; Justina M Barnicke Gallery; Miles Nadal Gallery; and Nuit Blanche Toronto.

I have directed workshops for refugees, newcomers, Indigenous people, students and seniors across North America and Asia; including Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts; and TASIS school in Dorado, Puerto Rico. I have artworks in collections across North America and Asia, have been awarded private and public art commissions, grants (Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Trillium Foundation); and Artist Residency fellowships (Government of Japan, Japan Foundation).