Artist Statement
My work explores human engagement with the collective scientific and mathematical knowledge amassed by humanity. Illuminated manuscripts stand at the center of my artistic vision, guiding a fusion of decorative elements, tile designs, illustration, and calligraphy. The focal point of my exhibits are the books I bind by hand, bringing together hand-lettered and illuminated folios with printed pages generated from calligraphic fonts that I create. They represent human knowledge, collected and communicated in written form. To this core element, I add large-scale works on paper and canvas.
Larger scale mixed-media works on paper feature key highlights: definitions, equations or knowledge condensed into tables such as the periodic table, the genetic code, or the standard model of particle physics. Presented in a decorative format, these range from large two-dimensional framed works, to three-dimensional calligraphic works on folded paper, embossed paper, sliceforms or kirigami.
Visual representation of human knowledge can be very literal, or it can be schematic, as in molecular diagrams or Feynman diagrams. It can represent precise quantities or be an abstraction of conceptual ideas. I explore this spectrum from the precise to the abstract in large acrylic paintings on canvas or mixed media geometric designs. I often feature aperiodic tile patterns, such as the Penrose tiling.
I aim to create a visual and tangible experience from the intangible element of knowledge. My work brings large-scale tile patterns and dimensional works on paper into harmony with bound books to explore our engagement with knowledge on a personal level. Large and small-scale works exhibited together invite the viewer to immerse themselves in the splendor of the illuminated pages as a gateway to the intangible world they embody.