The bodies of work I am currently developing were sparked by cultural issues I became intrigued by when traveling in the Middle East in 2007. Most of these paintings begin by my using a jigsaw to cut out the shaped wood panel I will need. Formal decisions are based on the appeal of limiting my paintings to one subject as my training connects with traditions of portraiture and iconography.

The focus of this work is to examine collective and individual identity. I am creating visually compelling images that hope to challenge preconceived notions about the Middle East and its people in unconventional ways.