Artist Statement
I see the world through fearful eyes. This comes with being a butch lesbian of color and a survivor of rape. The work I make is often an attempt to explore the different facets of myself. My artwork examines lesbian identity and the complicated mix of emotions that it presents. As a butch lesbian, my life has been shaped around my admiration and love for women, while also finding that I do not fit into the normative gender roles assigned to women. I break through the gender roles and go where a woman is not expected, or often wanted. My work explores coming of age as a young lesbian, the insecurities this brings up and the trauma that follows. There are two major themes within my art that are somewhat distinct from each other: trauma, and love. These two experiences clash within my own life and are constant themes within my work.
I primarily work in traditional media such as watercolor and ink, creating illustrations and comics that depict lesbian relationships, fantastical adventures, and trauma. I’d like to continue expanding on the stories I've written and illustrated, and make them as accessible as possible. My goal is to illustrate and publish graphic novels and storybooks. I plan to continue my work centering around queer teen romance, mental illness, and coming of age, as well as expanding into different genres such as fantasy and sci-fi. With the current state of social media, I do plan to share my work digitally in the form of webcomics and digital publication, but books are also an important goal for me. There is a real sense of comfort I get from a physical book. They have an immersive experience that has always been important to me, giving stories a sense of comfort and safety that I want to embrace with my art.
