In the view of the public, chronic illnesses are often a tragedy for the individual and a burden to society, where the discussion of diagnosis is frequently taboo. But when illness and disability can only be seen as biological mishaps, there is nothing left to discuss but eradication. My artwork aims to ridicule this notion, using creativity to morph my pain into tenderness in my art. With multiple chronic illnesses and mental health conditions, my art is my attempt to understand and navigate the pain, trauma, and vulnerability in my life. My art is my attempt to resolve and accept suffering.

Suffering is more abstract than many believe. Even for physical pain, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact area and tissue where it originated. For mental anguish, defining it can be a Sisyphean task. Art allows me to put my otherwise unspeakable bearing into corporeal objects that others can apperceive. Although chronic illnesses manifest differently in every individual, and we all have our own experiences, suffering is universal. I can only hope that one day someone will see my work and feel a bit of warmth in their heart, knowing that they are not alone in this world.

My work spans across painting, photography, and installation. I use painting to express my realms within. My painting, no matter how surreal, is what I saw. Similar to William Blake, images will manifest themselves in front of me. It is my duty to accept this otherworldly commission, where I blend my grief with the vision. When I paint, I need only brushes, paint, and my affliction. The vision will do the rest. Each canvas is filled before I begin.

Photography is where I record and intrigue. Susan Sontag said in On Photography that to record is to not intervene; thus, autism is a perfect means of recording this world that I sometimes cannot comprehend. Nothing is forbidden in the face of curiosity. Photographs are also my archive. When my brain cannot remember, the photographs become an extension of my body, my memory, where I can savor those precious moments that otherwise would have been lost to time.

These media meet in my installations. The two coalesce, for no inland empire can sustain without external nourishment, and no transient realm can exist without clarity of the soul. My works are fingers on a palm; they are all rooted in the exact origin. Where life cannot fulfill, art permeates the chasm, mending the world. Where life can flourish, art illuminates infinity, invigorating the mind. As an artist, it is my obligation and obsession to express, to record, to create.