Bio

I got my first camera at three-years-old. It was a Barbie-edition film camera with a pink rubber outer shell and a lime green flower that encompassed the lens. My interest in photography blossomed. I insisted the camera did not leave my side. The camera was both my shield and an open door into the curious ways others lived their lives. As I faced my own harsh realities, I could peer through the lens and disappear into another world.

With nearly 8 billion humans on this planet, I know that I am not alone on the journey to fight for a future unrestricted by my past. My main goal in life is to understand other humans in their realities. I think of art as an extension of a person. Art allows us to better understand who people are, where they come from, and how they move through the world.

My time in art school at UCLA introduced me to a world that I was wildly interested in, but knew very little about. Art in an academic sense was not my expertise. What was my expertise was ME. Creativity, self-awareness, and above all introspection were imperative in each of the degrees I earned (BA in Art, BA in Psychology, and a MA in Martial & Family Therapy with specialized training in Art Therapy).

Utilizing my graduate training, I continuously work towards my goal of helping our communities heal through self-expression. To address the issues we face, we must first recognize their existence. So often our physical voices are silenced. I wish to encourage others to make their voices heard, even when they can't use words. I know the expression of art, in any form, not only gives us a voice but also frees us. And what I want more than anything is to be free.