artist statement

Transpercer

Transpercer is the fruition of shared dialogue between artist and witness for the Walking Alongside Trauma exhibition. It is a vessel hanging in the balance of opposing actions of harm and recovery.

First, we see repeated patterns of controlled, even violent, actions occupying the sculpture’s exterior liminal space. A once-functional buoy, a marker indicating safety, is pierced with deliberate holes, rendering it unusable. An imitation fishing hook, crafted in sterling silver, masquerades as a tool of entrapment. Even the stark black-and-white palette offsets despair and resilience, loss and renewal.

Then, looking into Transpercer’s interior, extraordinary clusters of biome-like creations appear to form from nothing. In dialogue with the witness, the idea of looking inward figured prominently — as an embodiment of hope, an expectation of change. Similarly, the luminous interior fills with intricate, unexpected forms. This hidden world appears alive and complex in comparison to its weakened exterior. Rather, Transpercer’s demonstration of transformation and promise resides within.

Transpercer is a symbol of survival — an acknowledgment of life’s capacity to find direction and hope even in the most hostile environments.

Stages of Healing Sardius

Stages of Healing Sardius explores the enduring impact of trauma and the courage required to navigate away from it and seek advocacy and justice. The palette, inspired by the hues of a healing bruise, captures the raw intensity of initial pain. Carnelian beads — traditionally associated with bravery and strength — encircle the fading bruise, enriching a narrative of protection and recovery from gender-based violence (GBV) , violence against women (VAW), and intimate-partner violence (IPV).

Modeled after the gorget — an historical piece of armor designed to protect the throat and redistribute the force of violent impact — Stages of Healing Sardius is a metaphorical shield of defense. Motivated by the witness’s legal expertise in advocacy work with survivors of IPV in rural and small communities, I wanted the neckpiece to visually reference the multifaceted barriers of safety survivors must endure to be heard in a family law legal system that too often fails to protect them. For example, shared courthouse waiting areas in rural areas often place survivors in dangerous proximity to abusers for extended, unpredictable periods of time. Additionally, a lack of privacy in courthouse hallways in small communities compromises client-lawyer confidentiality, further eroding safety and trust. Stages of Healing Sardius symbolizes the right of survivors of IPV and gender-based violence to overcome these barriers to justice.