Side view
Top view, open
“Cutout”
For this modern book design, I welded a steel case and cover and used small sheets of my own handmade cotton paper for the accordion-style pages. The book contains 26 pages total, one for each letter of the alphabet—but these letters aren’t arranged in alphabetical order. Instead, I arranged the letters by the volume that I removed from each page to create each successive letter. As viewers read the book, the letters lose volume, starting with “O” and ending with “L.”
Hand bound books with marbled covers
1. Stab book with braided ribbon binding
2. Stab book with invented ribbon weaving pattern
3. Belgian-bound book
4. Coptic stitch book
5. Long stitch book
6. Hardcover book with pen and ink cover sketch
2. Stab book with invented ribbon weaving pattern
3. Belgian-bound book
4. Coptic stitch book
5. Long stitch book
6. Hardcover book with pen and ink cover sketch
"Check"
Designed using only wood from a deconstructed wooden chair, this sculpture highlights the concept of a chair being a means of communication between two people. The game of chess requires communication not only between two players, but the interaction of the pieces as well. The layout of the pieces depicts a moment in time, determined by an actual game of chess that I played with my dad using the completed set. The setup alludes to the title “Check,” as the darker queen is in position to take the lighter king and end the game—unless the other player moves the king to safety.
"RISE"
Education can be a significant barrier for refugee and immigrant students, not only because of linguistic differences, but also because students in a new country likely need extra support and encouragement. Messiah University's Agapé Center partners with the Refugee and Immigrant Services for Empowerment (RISE) to offer a retreat for high school students to get a glimpse of the college experience and encourage them to pursue higher education. The word "RISE" represents not only this organization, but also the refugee students' ability to rise above their circumstances and develop the capacity to reach their full potential and achieve success. The use of steel signifies the strength needed to overcome the educational barrier, and the use of blue is symbolic of this transcendence. I hand designed, cut, and welded the letters to the base and spray painted this 40-pound sculpture in two tones of blue. This sculpture was displayed in Messiah University's Agapé Center from 2019-2021.
Steel Scrap sculpture & Cube
“Seeking Paper”
For this project, my class was tasked with re-creating commonplace objects on a larger scale (similar to the work of Claes Oldenburg) using cardboard. I chose to re-create pencils and erasers. I exposed the corrugation to add texture to the erasers and carved lettering into the sides of the pencils to add an extra layer of detail. The pencils were approximately 5 feet in length, while the erasers were approximately 2 feet in length. This sculpture was part of a 2018 class exhibition at the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center at Messiah University.
Wood scrap sculpture
Wood exploration of mass & volume