Artist Statement

My studio practice operates under the Lordship of Christ and the redemptive work He is accomplishing in the world. I seek to make art that faithfully reflects His truth, beauty, and goodness in a broken culture, recognizing that all artistic expression is either in alignment with or in rebellion against His purposes. There is no neutral ground—every artwork is an act of faithfulness or unfaithfulness. As such, my work is a form of visual apologetics, aimed at holding thoughts captive to what is true, excellent, and beautiful.

While painting has been the primary medium through which I’ve developed my visual language, my practice extends beyond it. I work across mediums and disciplines to explore the tensions of human existence and longing, drawing from theology, art history, philosophy, and cultural critique. This breadth of practice includes institutional building, curation, teaching, and shaping communities of artists. As the founder of Shockoe Artspace and a co-founder of The Maker Institute of Studio Art + Theology, and Co-Founder of Made Makers Christian Art and Design Education I see the act of institution-building itself as a creative, theological, and cultural vocation—one that forms places for faithful making, robust education, and generational impact.

Over the past decade, my painting practice has remained central. I draw inspiration from the history of painting—from the Renaissance and Baroque periods to Abstract Expressionism, Impressionism, Post-Painterly Abstraction, Neo-Expressionism, and even pop cultural imagery. My work converses with and critiques various modern and contemporary modalities, seeking to reconcile what has been fractured in the arts and offer it back as a redeemed gift expression. Through this, I aim to harmonize visual tensions into discrete, fresh wholes—compositions that challenge art history, confront cultural apathy, and awaken affections in the hearts of viewers.

I want my work to humanize—to render the seen and unseen with the weight and wonder of reality as God has made it. If viewers are willing, I hope they encounter visual forms that challenge them, that reorient their loves, and that stir their longings toward something greater than the self. My aim, ultimately, is to glorify Christ in the studio, the institution, and the culture by being a faithful maker in all things.