Held

Artist Statement: My work explores where I come from, who came before me, and who I am. Portraits of lost relatives connect me to the past. Through the process of making art, I have gotten to know these relatives in my own way. I form these relationships through careful rendering: by shading their faces and following the curves of their cheekbones. The drawing process creates an intimacy that was stolen by war and the passage of time. I revive and retell family stories from my own perspective. I see my artistic role as both recorder and interpreter.