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“Into the Gray” is a painting series which transpired out of the grief and isolation I felt from the death and mourning of my dad. After a life of struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, my father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in October 2021. In grief, we instinctively seek the primality of the wilderness in order to be still enough to contemplate the depth and meaning of our loss; a process intrinsic to healing and sometimes made more difficult in an estranged context.. Those seeking to heal their wounds after a traumatic experience, a history of a complicated relationship with a parent can make it harder to heal. This new series aims to connect the parallels of people and the environment while grieving and creating a safe space for viewers to reflect and pause..

Through grief comes the complex process of healing.. My series depicts the complicated process of pain and mourning expressed through figure paintings, mostly of women, as they intertwine with variations of foliage and cosmic settings. Through my experience, my vision is to resonate with the viewer on pain and struggle after a traumatic event and loosing sight of your own self. I want this to open questions; How can we cope with our pain? How can we express complicated emotions? How do you find yourself again?

.I hope the viewers can take away a sense of respite; as I create art through the healing process, making art is a form of thinking that we access from empathy. I want this show to influence people to reflect on their own lives through mourning and help navigate into the gray areas that come with grief.

CLOSING RECEPTION 
OCTOBER 1ST 2023 FROM 3 TO 7PM
AT DOUBTING THOMAS GALLERY IN TREMONT