Artist Statement

My body of work is an expression of my experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder- specifically, ‘contamination OCD’, which leads me to obsess over contracting illness or spreading germs.  At 7 years old, the fear of becoming sick abruptly held a grip on my daily tasks, social interactions, and my physical well-being. Desperate to find a way to cope, I developed habits or ‘compulsions’ to ease my symptoms.  These ranged from avoiding certain individuals who were ‘contaminated’ to washing my hands over 50 times a day.

The slow, detailed investigation of self-portraiture provides a logical and methodical reflection. This mode of creating literally creates a pause, forcing me to take note of what is actual versus what is fantastical or imagined. This reframe allows me to ease my mind and enhance my quality of life. I utilize red string to draw attention to the frantic, illogical monologue that is at the center of my disorder. The red string dynamically acts as the malfunctioning neuro-pathways firing in my brain. I mentally track my own contact with objects as well as review the actions of every human I lay my eyes on to calculate the point of pollution. I collect and re-present covid tests as an example of the irrational disbelief I have in the results. One test cannot be accurate, two tests might be, three tests are better, etc., etc., etc.. Reframing my disorder into something absurd allows me to ease my mind and enhance my quality of life.