This series deals with liminal space.  The theme of liminality stems from my experiences of living “betwixt and between.”  I immigrated to the U.S in 1990.  The refugee experience has led me to a deep understanding of what it means to live in-between worlds.  My painting takes a closer look at the periphery, the marginalized, the liminal state of belonging and un-belonging.  

Liminal space is one of ambiguity, disorientation and turbulence, yet its vitality has the potential of transformation and growth.  I honor these experiences through my artistic process hoping to create a contemplative space for the viewer.  To this end I use colors and manipulate the texture of oil paints on canvas.  The emphasis on texture, achieved through paint scumbled across the picture plane, disrupts the surface of the canvas and flattens the image.  This visible texture also signifies the presence of the object – a living experience- not just an illustration of a thing.   The colors on each painting are minimal and act as a veil to reveal the soft layer underneath.  Together, the slight shifts in color and the softness of the texture read like light coming through a surface, a window.  My paintings reside in an intermediate stage between representation and abstraction, undefined, indistinctive, similar to embodiments of immigrant experiences.   

My intention is for these paintings to serve as contemplative windows; an opportunity for viewers to explore their own personal journeys of time, space, memory and experience.