Artist’s Statement
Looking back, I see that I have always been a contemplative action-figure. From my semi-feral childhood roaming the pastures and woods of Texas, to my adult life exploring more urban environments, I draw inspiration from the intersection of nature and human civilization. My hard-working parents managed to provide us with mind-opening books, music, and visits to museums. My favorites were the Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas and The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago with its glorious dioramas and Egyptian collection. My fascination with archaeology was fed with nutritious films and exotic objects from my grandparents' regular trips to "the old country" in Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding countries of the Mediterranean.
I am a vivid dreamer and in waking life, my eyes act as a constantly refocusing viewfinder analyzing compositions and patterns as I walk and ride my bike. It can be a bit distracting, but it is a fountain of ideas.
My artwork explores daily encounters, memories, dreams, associations. Mundane objects find themselves in unexpected settings. Sometimes the wonders of the Middle East mix with reptiles or my relatives. Like archaeology, some relics are on the surface mixing with the modern day, but other treasures are deep in the strata. Recurrent themes are masks, maps, my tools, reptiles/amphibians, and plants. The overlapping of natural and manmade patterns fascinates me. I usually work in thematic series and sometimes there is crossover between the series.
Since moving to California in 2016, I have been exhibiting my work around the state and building a following of collectors. I have noticed changes in my color palette and subject matter which I attribute to the climate, latitude, and glorious parks. In addition to painting, I build assemblages combining found objects with painted elements.
Looking back, I see that I have always been a contemplative action-figure. From my semi-feral childhood roaming the pastures and woods of Texas, to my adult life exploring more urban environments, I draw inspiration from the intersection of nature and human civilization. My hard-working parents managed to provide us with mind-opening books, music, and visits to museums. My favorites were the Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas and The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago with its glorious dioramas and Egyptian collection. My fascination with archaeology was fed with nutritious films and exotic objects from my grandparents' regular trips to "the old country" in Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding countries of the Mediterranean.
I am a vivid dreamer and in waking life, my eyes act as a constantly refocusing viewfinder analyzing compositions and patterns as I walk and ride my bike. It can be a bit distracting, but it is a fountain of ideas.
My artwork explores daily encounters, memories, dreams, associations. Mundane objects find themselves in unexpected settings. Sometimes the wonders of the Middle East mix with reptiles or my relatives. Like archaeology, some relics are on the surface mixing with the modern day, but other treasures are deep in the strata. Recurrent themes are masks, maps, my tools, reptiles/amphibians, and plants. The overlapping of natural and manmade patterns fascinates me. I usually work in thematic series and sometimes there is crossover between the series.
Since moving to California in 2016, I have been exhibiting my work around the state and building a following of collectors. I have noticed changes in my color palette and subject matter which I attribute to the climate, latitude, and glorious parks. In addition to painting, I build assemblages combining found objects with painted elements.