Art making, for me, is a way of tracing connections—personal, cultural, historical—that shape how we see and what we remember. In my collage practice, I bring together disparate materials that explore tensions between abstract gesture, suggested imagery, and fragmented material presences. This process allows brief moments of narrative to surface before dissolving again, reflecting the splinted nature of memory and perception.

My work is driven by critical inquiry. I question why certain images become embedded in our individual or shared consciousness while others fade into visual noise. In a culture saturated with depictions of violence, spectacle, and luxury, what happens to meaning when images are repeated to the point of numbness? How do these visuals influence our understanding of identity, value, or community? By confronting this overload, my work invites viewers to question the systems—media, commerce, history—that shape what we collectively see, remember, ignore, or forget.

Photography: Gregory Staley