Artist Statement
I create layered paintings that explore connection, resilience, and repair through imagined landscapes informed by Midwestern ecology, urban architecture, and personal memory and dreams. Drawing from the visual language of quilting and textile traditions, my process incorporates layers of watercolor, acrylic, sewing, and embroidery. Paintings on paper are cut, torn, and reassembled.
Recurring motifs such as roots, trees, cities, lights, and waves function as metaphors for interdependence and collective belonging. Through layering and reconstruction, the work examines how rupture can be necessary for growth, meaning, and a sense of peace.
Rooted in contemplative practice and shaped by questions of belonging, inheritance, and coexistence, my work invites reflection and a renewed sense of interconnectedness.
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Since creating the Found Painting Project in 2014, I have been posting small paintings on trees for people to discover and take home. Follow @chaiwolfman and #foundpaintingproject on social media to find out more and see where we've been and where we're going. Click on The Found Painting Project to see images of all the paintings in the project so far.
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