Elements from my surroundings and from the world beyond my reach filter into my work. My daily exposure to aspects of life such as academia, nature, politics, human relationships and other art plays a role in the creation of my paintings. I see and hear phenomena that affect my thought processes, which in turn subconsciously affect my creative responses. At times, this constant contact with reality integrates an element of escapism into the compositions. My painting practice is a visual narrative of my environment and some facets of fantasy. I work with large canvases that begin as simple planes of flat color and thin washes of oil paint. An elaborate process of affixing paint and building up the surface takes each piece through several transformations. Upon completion, the once barren fields of minimal color are covered in areas by claustrophobic arrangements of minute calligraphic detail. The final image reveals interactions between a myriad of paradoxical elements such as size, texture, and style. Although distinct from one another, these features relate in unexpected ways and spark a conversation within the paintings.