Dark Matter (found object sculpure series)

DARK MATTER, 2020 - now

mixed media (found objects, acrylic paint)

An ongoing project is my sculpture series titled “Dark Matter” where the themes of mental health and climate awareness intersect.

My art practice is deeply rooted in my lifelong struggle with mental health where I use the artmaking process to navigate dark and difficult emotions. 2020 marked a new beginning. Quarantining in my apartment was like an artist residency and I made art daily to cope with the global existentialism. Some months in and I realized that my apartment had become a pigsty. There was so much stuff… maybe a result of my suburban consumer upbringing and tendency to hoard. I cannot help but see the potential in objects and so-called trash.

To declutter my apartment, rather than toss the mess, I played with the mess. I used string to tie items together for hundreds of hours and this physical act of tying became an obsessive outlet for my anxiety. These works are like capsules for the chaotic emotional energy felt during their creation. A metaphor for transformation, change, and healing, trash is upcycled and takes on a new life.

This series opened doors to conversations with people about their stories and experiences with mental health. I want to inspire people to see their darkness as a source of strength and challenge what we define as “trash.”