The word “gild” is an adjective used to describe something that is covered thinly with gold. In other words, if you were to scratch off the surface of a gilded item, you would find a less-attractive solid material such as wood, stone, or metal. In consideration of the design in relation to the concepts of my pictures, I see it as a sort of gild. I love bows, graceful movements, soft colors and silky textures. At the same time, however, I photograph more decrepit subjects that express small deaths and feelings of exhaustion, remorse, dread, and frustration. My goal is to make beautiful what others might find unsettling.

The other side to a number of my pieces consistent in such emotion is the investigation of means of escape. Take, for instance, my image entitled “To Fly”—clearly the subject has endured traumatizing events as indicated by the cuts and bruises on her legs. But she is positioned in a way that suggests she is “lifting off” the ground, thereby escaping what has caused her to suffer. All of my images involving this concept envelope my goals and dreams as a human being. While I feel that the majority of my life span so far has consisted mainly of melancholy, I have faith that I will “escape” from this state and shape my life into the masterpiece I dream it to someday be today.