Nacre (2024)

An exploration of worth, labor, and the cycle of creation and depletion.

Nacre is a body of work born during a period of unemployment and introspection, questioning my value in a world that often equates worth with production. Inspired by the life cycle of farmed oysters—creatures raised to create pearls as a defensive response, only to be harvested and discarded—this work examines the tension between creation, extraction, and renewal.

Like the oyster, I wondered: What happens when we are no longer producing something deemed valuable to others?

The materials reflect this theme: found objects, discarded materials, and remnants of past cycles—scratch-off tickets, metal studs, aluminum wire, mosquito netting, marker, door knobs, a mirror, and plexiglass. Each element speaks to what is left behind, reimagined, and repurposed into something new.

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Nacre (2024)
New York School of the Arts, NYC

Nacre: Eighth in a Series of Nine was exhibited in the 2024 Sculpture Exhibition at the New York School of the Arts and HUB Galleries from rom April 1 – May 2, 2025