Art has always been a way for me to get out of my head. I have always used it as an escape from reality, just shutting my brain off and getting lost in the process. My work is intuitive and whimsical, a moment of light in the ever-present darkness. But there are people in my life who demand that I make something that means more than that. It feels like I'm constantly being picked apart, interrogated, forced to explain the meaning behind every single minute detail in my artwork even if there's nothing there. But I'm sick and tired of all that. I wanted to make a show that felt real, that felt genuine, that connected me back to my younger self. Back when art meant experimentation, exploration, making mistakes and learning from them. Recently, I've felt so caught up in my head that I wanted to break free and regain the passion of my childhood process.

Material Girls is a collection of work I created with unconventional materials. I used things that break tradition, that are artificial or reminiscent of youth and innocence. I created paint out of chocolate sauce, cotton candy, and other unusual materials in order to make a series of character portraits. I designed each character based on what they're made out of, hence the name Material Girls. I wanted to have fun with different processes, to make mistakes along the way, and to reconnect with that artistic freedom of my childhood. I wanted to create something fun and colorful without questioning if it was good enough. Because it is good enough. The restrictions and judgements that are forced upon me are killing my creativity. Killing me. This is my way of showing that I am good enough, and I won't be told that I'm not.