WE ARE ALL WEARING MASKS OF OUR OWN MAKING (2026)
I have been painting these quilted balaclavas on and off for a few years now. Initially an exploration of the juxtaposition of seemingly opposing imagery. Ski masks are often tied to a desired anonymity, and not uncommonly criminality. Quilts and quilt patterns, on the other hand, tend to be associated with comfort, wholesomeness, community, family heirlooms and connection. Mixing these elements challenges our preconceived notions of what each represent and open the door to seeing things in a different way. More recently I have been thinking of these quilted balaclavas as a metaphor for the ‘masks’ we all put on every day: how we want to be perceived and what face we show the world, particularly in our modern social media-obsessed landscape. Our individual masks are a patchwork of our ideals, fears, insecurities, hopes, values, and more. All of the characters in these paintings are wearing their own mask, which provides anonymity, while at the same time putting their individual elements and patterns on full display. This begs the question, how genuine are our masks to our true selves?
