“Clarice Nouveau” (2024)

During the install of a commissioned piece, my dear Clarice fell and shattered on the ground. Rather than cutting my losses and abandoning her in pieces, I decided to try and put her back together, shard by shard. It was a long and arduous process, with blood, sweat, and tears at every turn, but I couldn’t be happier with the results. Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, she has become more than the sum of her original parts, a new work of art that would not have existed had she not fallen.

I’ve learned a lot through my art practice, both technical skills and life lessons. I’ve learned endurance, tenacity, patience, how to find value in everything. This setback inspired me to follow my instincts and not to give up, even if others may think I’m crazy. The basis of my practice is finding ways to make things that theoretically don’t or shouldn’t work. When Clarice first shattered, I was too, but now Clarice Nouveau hangs proudly as one of my favorite pieces to date.