Solidarity

Taking materials out of context and re-presenting them in a different format is much of what I do in my work. For years, I have used Chinese Joss paper, also known as ghost or spirit money, in my paintings. The gilded sheets are burned as offerings to honor deceased relatives and worship deities. Adding leaves, twigs, the stuff of the world that would ordinarily decay is my way of making the ephemeral permanent; placing those objects on ritual paper is my way of honoring them and emphasizing their importance.

So much of what I think about, and where I dwell, is in the invisible space below the surface of this material world, where we are all energy and light, and where we are all the same, all united. For me, the Joss paper, with its glimmer of silver or gold, represents that place and offers my paintings a substrate that mirrors the eternal. This is what it has always been for me.

Now, with the increase in violence targeting our Asian neighbors, this material feels charged with an added emotional and symbolic resonance. This has added a layer to my materials that I never intended - I want my paintings to dwell in, and to create, a space of peace and harmony. And yet, I and my paintings are in this world, and so I am now compelled to add my voice to the work to say - I stand in solidarity with my Asian friends, neighbors, strangers, members of my community, of my city, of this country - and that I stand with everyone, everywhere, who practices kindness, tolerance and compassion towards others in this beautiful and heartbreaking world.