Artist Statement

"All art is here to prove, and to help one bear, the fact that all safety is an illusion" — James Baldwin 

This past year has, for most of us, profoundly changed our relationship with physical space, especially the formerly safe space of home. Homes for some have become unbearably confining, for some uncertain or nonexistent and for others a desolate empty place to grieve. Natural and man-made disasters have destroyed others, leaving the inhabitants only sad scraps and distorted debris. 

My work considers this emotional and physical devastation created by the loss of home. Home is where our most basic human needs - nourishment, rest and safety - are supposed to be met. When these are lost we are set adrift, grieving for security and permanence. This is "hiraeth," a Welch word for a profound homesickness for a home you can't return to, or that may have never existed. 

Much of the horror evoked by natural and man-made disasters comes down to this basic need for safety. As our planet warms and the world seems less and less familiar we may all be left searching for that elusive home.

Whitcomb, Robert. "Get out your flood insurance." New England Diary, January 14, 2021.

Sheehan, Daniel. "Dot artist explores themes of disruption in South End show." Dorchester Reporter, March 11, 2021.

Artist Page