Some paintings arrive with an artist's statement attached, all conclusions and certainty. Others ask you to sit with them and bring your own history to the canvas.
We spoke with the artist behind The Faces of Eve, a series exhibited at Hancock Gallery that reimagines the story of Adam and Eve through a contemporary lens. Every piece has since found a home, except for one: Realization, the final remaining work and the focus of this conversation.
What follows is less an explanation than an invitation into a practice of figurative art built on dialogue rather than declaration.
About the Collection
Looking at these works together, what story or theme connects them?
Realization was one of the first pieces in a series of paintings called The Faces of Eve. All of the works in this series that were exhibited at Hancock Gallery have found homes, with the exception of Realization.
The series was loosely based on the biblical story of Adam and Eve from Eve's perspective, viewed through a 21st-century lens. For many years, women have been marginalised historically across the economic, political, and social spheres. The works in this series sought to explore these ideas without offering answers or drawing conclusions, but rather to open a dialogue.
At the same time, this series mirrored a personal uncovering that was taking place within the confines of my studio walls—one that had begun many years before this body of work.
What ideas or emotions were you exploring during the creation of this collection?
There wasn't a particular emotion I was specifically trying to capture in The Faces of Eve series. I'm much more interested in creating conversation.
In fact, I view exploration in my work the same way. I've come to the conclusion that my feelings or opinions aren't as important as allowing space for dialogue. Over the years, I've found that my own interpretation can even become contradictory.
I remember attending my one-man exhibition the day after the opening. I noticed a woman having an intense emotional reaction to one of my paintings—to the point of crying out loud. As I listened from a distance, I heard her say, "This painting is a stoning!" (as in capital punishment).
I was surprised and felt compelled to rescue my painting. After introducing myself as the artist, I began explaining what the painting meant to me. For me, it was about a woman who had fallen to the ground because she couldn't be with her lover, surrounded by her brothers.
With mascara and tears running down her face, she said, "I don't care what you say this is about. To me, this is a stoning."
At that moment, I realized she was probably from another country, and perhaps her personal experiences shaped the way she saw the work. I simply replied, "Duly noted."
That encounter changed the way I viewed my paintings and their purpose. It's impossible for me to shape someone else's response to my work—I can only create the opportunity for dialogue.
I truly believe the art continues to live in a different way when I step out of the equation and allow the conversation to happen rather than trying to shape it. You'd be surprised by the countless conversations I've had about a painting simply by asking, "What is this about to you?"
Are there particular memories, experiences, places, or influences that shaped these works?
Our lives are shaped from birth. I believe we are constantly informing ourselves through our experiences. I find it necessary to know oneself in order to know what one needs to do.
We learn from everything. We are constantly growing, uncovering, and shedding.
I rarely share commentary about what my work is "about." However, I will say that every part of the process—from the first touch of the canvas until I find balance in the painting—is me emotionally working myself out.
What do you hope viewers or collectors take away from them?
My hope is that viewers and collectors find an emotional connection with the paintings—something that nourishes their soul.
Why did you choose the title Realization, and what significance does it hold?
Many of my titles in recent years come to me while I'm working. Sometimes they have very little to do with the painting visually. In most cases, they're placeholders for a thought or a moment of contemplation.
For Realization, the title speaks to a moment of reflection. It could represent an understanding of one's present circumstances or a recognition of how far she has come.
Reflection
Which work in the collection feels most personal to you, and why?
This is the last work from The Faces of Eve series at Hancock Gallery. It's difficult to say which work is the most personal because they all are.
I believe I am my work, and my work is me, so choosing one over another would be nearly impossible.
If this collection were a chapter in your artistic journey, what would its title be?
Uncharted Territory
What would you like collectors to understand about these works that may not be immediately visible?
I consider my paintings to be abstract works. There's a great deal of abstract dialogue that happens before anything becomes figurative. The figurative passages are simply recognizable abstract shapes. They gradually become what they are as the painting unfolds.
Is there a story about this collection that you've never been asked to tell but would like to share?
No. I would simply reiterate that the work is life. I'm emotionally working myself out through my paintings, and my hope is that whoever views the work has an equally meaningful emotional response.
