I create work that exposes and honours the often-invisible labour of vigilance, self-protection, and autonomy that shapes women’s daily lives. As both a daughter and a mother, I am deeply invested in the lessons, warnings, and expectations passed between generations and in the ways these stories shape how women move through the world. Through painting, quilting, and soft sculpture, I investigate the tension between the pressures of femininity and the desire to occupy space unapologetically.

In my paintings, smiling female figures confront the viewer with gestures that oscillate between humour and defiance. By challenging assumptions about politeness and compliance, these figures invite engagement while resisting easy comfort. Their gestures and expressions create a space where vulnerability and strength coexist.

My textile works and soft sculptures are rooted in traditions of sewing, quilting, and maternal storytelling. Using my grandmother’s sewing machine, I construct quilts that serve as vessels of memory, carrying stories, warnings, and collective experiences. Oversized fabric keys recur as motifs, symbolizing both protection and vigilance. When enlarged beyond their practical use, these keys become monuments to the unseen labour of safeguarding oneself and others.

Together, these works question the contradictions women are expected to embody: accommodating yet alert, visible yet cautious, strong yet unthreatening. By pairing soft, domestic materials with confrontational gestures and exaggerated forms, I seek to challenge these norms and assert women’s right to occupy space, speak openly, and exist unapologetically.