I began painting as a teenager in my family’s garage, studying Impressionist masters such as Cézanne, Renoir, and Manet. I was drawn to their use of color, structure, and gesture, and I saw this early practice as a way of learning to see and to become an artist. While drawing remained my primary visual language, painting continued as a quiet undercurrent in my work.

In the past year, I have felt a renewed pull toward painting as a means of expanding both my visual and conceptual range. Artists such as Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, and David Palidin, alongside contemporary painters like Maja Ruznic and Stephanie Sachs, continue to inform and inspire my approach. What excites me most about painting is its openness: the way gesture, brushwork, and material can guide the process as much as intention. By allowing brush and gesture to lead, I see my work as a continually evolving exploration shaped by curiosity, risk, and discovery.