Artist Statement

Sired By A Stranger

Eighteen years ago, my biological father divorced my mom, walking out of my brother’s life and mine. I have had to deal with that abandonment for almost the entire duration of my life. I became angry and envious at the sight of children with their fathers. I grew confused when the phone calls and texts from him became more infrequent, the visits lessening too. They were all painful reminders of what I didn’t have every Father’s Day. I felt resentment when others assumed and expected I should be the one to keep the one-sided relationship afloat, despite it dying and rotting away when I was only a child. It’s grief, it’s heartbreaking, and I decided to put it to canvas.

Inspired by songs such as Stromae’s Papapoutai, Tyler The Creator’s Like Him, along with artists like Steve Locke and Emily Carr, chose to recreate baby photos of me and my dad; all moments I cannot recall or reminisce. How do you remember someone you can’t recognize? In my interpretation, you don’t. They just become a void in your heart and in your mind where a face should be- an emptiness that could never be filled. In a way, I’m mourning the loss of my dad’s presence and unfortunately, I always will be. Accompanying this visual series was a playlist visitors could scan to access on YouTube; they were invited to listen to any of the songs listed as they studied the works.

Mixed Media (acrylic and patterned paper collage) on 12×12” canvas.