The Chants of Night

The series began before the pandemic, but the themes of interior, exterior, self-reflection and presentation grew especially relevant as they were painted and planned within the confines of a 44m2 apartment over nine months. They explore what it means to look at and imagine ourselves from the exterior and the power of the space one inhabits: we are creating and painting spaces that reflect us, but in doing so we empower them to craft us in the image of our own cast reflection.

In the isolation of confinement, we are the only subjects available to ourselves. The discomfort of reflection forces a reconsideration of the myth of Narcissus. There is value and not simply vanity in looking at ourselves intensely, even while presenting ourselves in the ways we want others to see us. We have the natural impulse to be attuned with our surroundings and to find our reflection in other things—water, mirrors, and even the reflective surface of the eyes and minds of others. Dwelling on our image is more than vanity: it is an essential part of understanding ourselves and ourselves in others, presenting simultaneous integration and isolation in a compassionate and tender light.