Introduction : The Linear Story

Here I'll be posting updates on my current and past projects as well as insights on my process as I produce more work. There will be old and new concepts of the same project layered on top of each other as the project takes a life of its own or adopt the artist's through the stages of its creation. Many of the projects that I develop earlier in my career are very ambitious in scale and technique, not necessarily because I believed I had the ability at the time but because those are the abilities I wanted to achieve and for me those projects would propel me to learn as much as possible. There have been many obstacles along the way, but I have come to realize that they are the way.

My greatest ambition as an artist is to achieve Mastery; to have the versatility and ability to realize whatever vision or concept I have conjured up in my mind and put it out there to share with the world. 

The Human Spirit is a subject that I am constantly trying to capture in my works. Through themes of love, desire, failure, persistence; and what is most important to me is the theme of potential and evolution. My artworks also document my growth as an artist and a human being, telling a story when they’re read chronologically.

“Icarus” is about ambition, it was my graduation piece cast from my own torso with wings too heavy and delicate to fly. 

“Breath” is ironically about asphyxiation, it is the solidification of the air around the face unable to enter because of panic, of lack of serenity and ability to see oneself clearly. 

And my ballet series, “Persistence” is my answer to what came before, to the trials and failures I’ve had since starting on my artist career and deciding even if I do fail a cast or two (or more), I can still get back up and make it into something beautiful.

Introduction : The Beginning of the Glass Journey

In my last year of highschool, I dreamt of a woman rising out of the water, skin clear as crystal, locks like waves and eyes just on the verge of opening, with a warm, soft radiance coming from inside. It was a glass sculpture of Rebirth. This was back in 2010. I still dream about it.

Matchbox Factory

Oil on Canvas
135 x 135 cm
2010

I love using glass because it reflects me the most. It’s an incredibly temperamental mistress. When it burns, it glows a deadly orange and you can try to shape it as best as you can, but without years of struggle, you can’t hope to temper it. And even with years of experience, sometimes it’ll still crack your mold and destroy your kiln. The stress starts the moment you decide to become an artist, it increases when you start a project or set a deadline for an exhibition, but nothing really compares to when you’ve put something in the kiln. Nothing.

When the glass is cold and you’re slaving away at it, the slightest bump can chip off a few hours of work, and when it breaks the edge is so sharp it cuts not just your skin, it cuts into your mentality, drives you insane for wasting hours of work. It’s a constant tightrope walk with chance as your balance, and you can’t afford the slightest bit of carelessness.

But even with all the frustration and stress, I still love working with glass and its various shades of transparency. The game of chance is worth it for that magical moment when you break a mold open to unearth what’s inside. Despite all the risks and odds against you, it’s worth it every time when one work comes out just right. Just one.

I decided to make this blog because I wanted to share my experiences with those who like my work, those who are curious, those who aspire to become an artist themselves. I wanted to share my failures and triumphs, my pain and my happiness, my tears and my growth. Maybe one day my work might even inspire someone to start their own journey.