Inspiration

As an architect and artist, I have always been conscious of the symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines. Having entered the architecture profession at the transition to the digital age, I quickly learned that the modern design process had been upended by technology. As computers became the primary design tool, I watched as layers of abstraction were added to the design process, increasing the separation between how we design architecture and make art. Sensing this growing divide, I was compelled to make things with my hands that were architectural while consciously denying the impact of computers and conformance to the contemporary design process. My work is the product of the now archaic modern design process applied to the making of contemporary art. It is an exploration of the symbiosis between art and architecture and the tension between technology and handcraft.

Bio

From an early age, I was captivated by the work of masters like Brancusi, Noguchi and Neutra. My mother pursued an art degree, so I was surrounded by her 1960s and '70s art and design books as well as paint, clay, fabric, plaster, charcoal, canvas and metals. I never played much with traditional toys, as those tactile materials became my playthings and I learned to express myself through art. At the age of nine when I sold my first piece—a wood scrap adorned with glow-in-the-dark poster paints—I knew that art was my calling.

That passion for art and design led me to a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Since graduating in 1997, I worked professionally on a broad range of architectural projects including public schools and residential, office and retail developments. While honing my skills as an architect, I continued to explore a variety of art forms including interior design, painting and sculpture, which ultimately led me to create works of art that are architectural, while consciously denying the impact of computers and conformance to the contemporary design process.

In January 2014, I left my job as an architect and moved to Miami to pursue my passion for creating sculpture and to be a part of the burgeoning art and design scene in the Wynwood Arts District. In my studio at the Bakehouse Art Complex, I now work with international designers, architects, galleries and clients to create sculptures, furniture and lighting that complement a variety of settings and styles.