Statement

I view painting as an encounter. It is a means of communicating through my interaction with my materials. In this work, I am not referencing images or objects, but am painting to explore my own ideas. When creating art, it is imperative that I have an intense connection with my materials. This connection enables me to engage in a process that is authentic to me and to the material. I am connected to a painting when I cannot tell if I am acting or reacting, if I am guiding the paint or if the paint is guiding me. In this way, through interacting with materials and embracing uncertainty, I have found a process that allows me to explore and experiment freely.

Since I am painting to explore my own mind, I am not referencing any physical subject. What is seen on the canvas reflects my choices, my routines and my subconscious thoughts. From painting to painting, patterns emerge, tracing an underlying context that I am exploring in this series of paintings and in life.


-niki