Every picture tells a story – well, every one of my paintings tells at least seven. From self-portraits to references to classical art, from animals and plants to architecture and theater: my paintings are filled to the brim. I like to refer to historical figures as well as fictional characters. I like to tell stories about differences in nature, nurture and culture. My work refers to inequality, feminism and protest, but also biology, scientific anomalies, trivial facts and obscure history.
I like to talk about ‘the other side’ of a well known story, and I like the fact that nothing comes from nothing: the more you learn about something, the more questions you end up with. Aristotle once claimed that some things generate spontaneously; they just start existing. I disagree: there is always a cause, an origin story. You can always dive deeper – and that’s what I like my viewers to do most of all: to dive in and see for yourself.
I’m not handing you a clear beginning or end to all of these stories. I’m not even clearly saying what my stance on all of it is. Go ahead: associate freely, ask questions, dive in deeper: what do you find?
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