Interview

E.How did you get to where you are today?

A.Lots and lots of practice and experimentation! I always strive to get my hands on any kind of craft I can manage. When I was young, I found myself mimicking the styles and imagery of artists I really admired until I got to a point where I established my own style and content. Aside from drawing and painting, I realized that I could apply this tactic to teach myself other mediums, such as fiber art and cold-connection jewelry. From there, it really has just been a lot of learning from demonstrations and tutorials and practicing exactly what I’m shown until I am comfortable with the process enough to manipulate it in my own way.

E.What type of music do you listen to when you are crafting or creating?

A.Anything I can sing along with! I love a good ‘80s playlist to hype up my process. When I’m working on something more stationary, I tend to listen to podcasts, mainly scary stories.

E.Describe your experience at MICA?

My experience at MICA was very much a rollercoaster. I’m very grateful that I was able to get the education I did and foster the relationships I find very dear, but I did admittedly learn a lot of very tough lessons about myself and the art industry. I was very uncertain of and unfulfilled by my work until I realized that I didn’t have to make the art I thought everyone wanted me to make. It was unmotivating for me to make sculptures or installations that I knew wouldn’t have a purpose once taken down from a gallery space. So I felt disingenuous when I would try to create stagnant pieces with serious meanings or concepts that I didn’t actually want to be crafting. With the help of my peers and professors, I was able to realize that I wanted to be making physically functional objects that harbored emotional function as well. I want my audience to feel the connection between object and identity and appreciate the quality of handcraft. I aim to acknowledge that comfort doesn’t have to be commercial, and art doesn’t always have to elicit discomfort.

E: Is there a project/goal that you would like to accomplish and haven’t yet? What is it?

A: My ultimate goal is to become a full-time entrepreneur, and my dream project is to fix up and customize my future home. As a creator who is always open to learning new crafts, it’s hard to limit myself to one type of job or industry. I love designing and crafting items across all types of mediums and processes, like furniture, clothing, accessories, home decor, etc. So it’s hard to give up a part of myself for so long if my career only requires one type of medium or skill from me. Aside from my love of the creative process in general, I gain so much joy from customers falling in love with the objects I make. It’s so exciting to provide someone with a one-of-a-kind item that they cherish because of the love and time put into it that can’t always be found in commercial products.

As someone who enjoys providing individual or custom items to customers, I love having custom items for myself to enhance my habits and comforts. Growing up with five older siblings in a humble house, almost everything was shared, the main thing being space. As we all started getting older and establishing our own styles, it became difficult to customize or decorate a space when my wants and needs didn’t necessarily suit my siblings. So I’ve always dreamed of the day I have my own home that I can make my own furniture and home goods for, paint however I’d like, and organize however best suits me.

E: What’s your favorite snack?

A: I’d have to say chips. Potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzel chips, British “chips” (or french fries), you name it! Although my sweet tooth and salty side are tied at a 50/50, a good salty, crunchy snack is always satisfying for a long trip or a special treat.

E:If you had the opportunity to choose from living in Japan or the Netherlands, which one would you choose? And, why?

A: Absolutely the Netherlands. As cool as it would be to live in Japan as well, I think the Netherlands would suit me better because of the smaller, older cities. Being someone who doesn’t own a car, I really appreciate places that are easily walkable or bike-able without having to heavily rely on long public transportation routes. Actually, my partner and I have considered the notion of moving to Amsterdam eventually because of how the architecture, city layouts, and lifestyle systems really line up with how we would like to live as a potential one-car or no-car household.

E: We admire how you pair clothing with furniture? Can you describe the inspiration behind this?

A: The objects we choose are who we are. They’re akin to our personalities, our identities, and our experiences. We see this in clothes and the fashion industry all the time. Our clothes reflect who we are or who we would like to be at that moment. But I think we often forget that all of the objects we collect and use in life provide our experiences as an individual. In contemporary American culture, many of us have resorted to getting furniture or ceramic wares that are neutral in form, color, and material so that it all matches. But where’s the fun in that? Why can’t we have statement pieces across our houses and bodies that reflect ourselves truly while still complimenting each other? How we establish comfort with an object is creating experiences and memories with it. We see the love of an object in the wear it shows, like the chip out of our favorite mug, or the stain on our favorite pair of jeans we wear so often, or even the dip in the couch stuffing where our favorite spot is. So my goal in matching items that you wouldn’t regularly pair is to show that we should be creating these kinds of relationships to all our belongings rather than relying on neutrality to bring the various parts of our identities together.

E: What advice would you give to other creatives?

A:Take criticism objectively, but don’t let personal opinions change your work. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t vibe with your work or understand it. Neutral criticisms, like, “I’m not sure this composition makes me focus on what you want us to see”, or, “I can understand your concept once you explain the piece, but I think I need more context to be able to read it without your explanation”, are helpful to improve the quality of your process and piece. But wishful thinking that completely changes the meaning of your work or disregards your choices as the creator is not stated to improve you as an artist. It is a ploy to get you to change your work to suit that individual rather than the individual doing the work to understand and become comfortable with the piece. Not everyone is going to like your work, and that is ok. If you are satisfied with the quality and representation of your work after applying helpful criticism, then the people who do appreciate your work will come around and uplift you.

E: What is the first song that pops into your mind right now?

A:“September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire

E: If you had to wear two colors everyday, what would they be?

A: I would wear green and yellow every day. They’re my two favorite colors, and they make me feel happy and confident because I feel like they’re not colors you see people wearing very often.

E: What is your favorite season of the year?

A: Fall is definitely my favorite. You know how people get a re-energized type of feeling when spring and summer roll around after the long winter? That’s the type of feeling I get in the fall. There’s just something about the crisp air and the change in wardrobe that gets me motivated to start new projects, get a new haircut, and do some deep cleaning.

E: Would you say you are a minimalist or maximist?

A: Despite trying to be a minimalist, I am a maximist all the way. As a creator, I definitely hoard tools and materials because you never know when you could use that cool scrap of fabric or when you’ll need that latch hook that you’ve been holding onto. I also love vertical storage because it keeps me more organized than bins or drawers, so my walls are always covered in pegboards for tools, hanging plants, and shelves for materials alongside mirrors, pictures, and prints.