STATEMENTS
The seeds of my artistic endeavors trace back to my academic career; throughout my academic years, I was drawn to the imagery underlying the theories. Indeed, that is how I conceptualized the theories - as images. For example, the theory called "Spiral of Silence" explains why the fear of isolation causes people to remain silent on issues they do care about - was an image.
​
However, in attempting to visualize that image, I discovered that I had to learn to paint. That marked the beginning of the latter phase of my life - the artistic phase. Since then, I have systematically explored still life, landscape, and encaustic painting. I strive to combine all of my experience as an academic and an artist to visually display the truth underlying a wide range of theories to explain human behavior.
​
.
​
​
ON TESSELLATION
​
It is easy to forget that art, throughout its history, has involved a mixture of the visceral and the intellectual. What changes through history is the specific balance between them. One may argue that early art sought more of a visceral experience, by contrast with contemporary art where more demand is placed on the intellect - think Mondrian, with his goal of reducing all of reality to vertical and horizontal lines.
​
Origami Tessellations are geometric designs folded from a single sheet of paper, creating a repeating pattern of shapes from folded pleats and twists. I visualize and find the same geometrical art shapes in nature and manufactured environment on these geometrical patterns, and that is what I paint in my tessellation series. My tessellation series can be arguably placed in the intellectual category, although that intellectual experience can be accompanied by an equally strong and purely visceral one. That is what I aim for in my artworks.
​
One may ask Why paint on tessellations?! The answer is somewhat philosophical. Without delving into the definition of art, in my opinion, art is nothing without rules. And rules are nothing but restrictions. It is precisely those restrictions that great artists have risen to challenge. "Challenge" does not mean eliminating the restrictions, but rather working within them. It is precisely the restrictions that demand creativity from the artist. I have found that the severe restrictions imposed by a tessellated surface encourage and demand more creativity on my part. In return, the final product is more than the sum of its parts - at least, one hopes.
​
