08/22/2026
Title: The Trash That Surrounds Us
Artist statement:
The Trash That Surrounds Us explores the internal conflict artists face while navigating an increasingly cluttered world. The marks, symbols, colors, and layers accumulate across the surface like thoughts that cannot be quieted—fragments of conversations, expectations, fears, information, and the constant noise of the world around us.
The blue field creates a sense of being submerged beneath this accumulation. Within it, small gestures of red and purple emerge, resembling thoughts, emotions, and ideas fighting to be seen. Some marks feel intentional, while others appear almost discarded. Together, they reflect the contradiction of making art: the desire to create something honest while simultaneously questioning whether what we create has meaning in a world already overflowing with images, opinions, technology, and information.
As artists, we are constantly absorbing. We collect what surrounds us and inevitably carry pieces of it into our work. The “trash” in this piece is not only physical—it is emotional, cultural, digital, and psychological. It represents the excess we carry within ourselves and the difficulty of separating our own voice from the noise.
Yet within the clutter, there is still creation. There is still color, movement, curiosity, and the possibility of finding something meaningful. The work asks: What do we keep? What do we discard? And how do we find our own voice within everything that surrounds us?
