I aim to capture the fleeting nature of memory through a lens of long-lasting connection: family. As a child of German immigrants, I attempt to process the linguistic and cultural barriers between me and my relatives using nostalgic, joyful scenes. In my paintings, I want to not only portray the beauty of homes like my grandparents’ garden, but also the bittersweet emotions that these places evoke in me. 

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Over the past two years, my art has grown to include reminders of my childhood experiences in Germany and the US, specifically through flora and fauna. Some paintings include succulents, fruits, and florals that I see growing in my mother’s hometown, while others include plants native to Virginia. I implement other elements of my American experience in my work as well, including childhood pets and sentimental objects.

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Although cultural disconnects make me feel, at times, like a stranger in my family, I choose to emphasize the connections I share with my relatives in my work, rather than the divides. I feel deeply connected to the natural beauty surrounding both my American and German family homes, cherishing both walks through Richmond’s natural spaces with my mom and quality time spent with my German grandparents in their back garden. Thus, I create paintings of abundant plants and flowers to practice gratitude for these connections. By painting from these moments, I hope to depict different aspects of my multicultural experience in a positive, though sometimes still bittersweet, way.

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Watercolor is my primary medium. Instead of fighting against its unruly nature, I want to embrace it and appreciate its organic flow in my work, while still maintaining harmony with my own creative visions. My art doesn’t rely on control, but rather a communicative, give-and-take process between me and my material. I hope to maintain a similar attitude toward my medium as toward the world around me–full of gratitude and childlike wonder, rather than a desire for unattainable perfection. I also aim to lean into the nature of watercolor because its faded, dreamlike look reflects the themes of memory present in my work. My use of colored pencil and watercolor pencil is intentional, too: it grants me the freedom to create bold lines and details that give my paintings a childhood-inspired feel. By connecting me to my memories, my favorite things, and my emotions, my paintings connect me to who I truly am.