Things We Carry is an ongoing series inspired by Tim Obrien’s The Things They Carried, which were a selection of short stories about a platoon and the physical and emotional baggage they kept while on duty. In translation to my paintings, I recall moments in my life, starting from childhood and continuing to most recent memories, paralleling both their shared and separate experiences. Memories are fascinating because they walk on a thin line between being facts and truths since we as people are unreliable resources. I represent this dynamic through adding and subtracting oil paint on the canvas while using saturated colors and patterns. I’m also interested in the significance and weight of a memory. My pieces range from lighthearted moments such as cultural traditions to instances that discuss questions of authority, systemic racism, discrimination and micro-aggressions.