Official Exhibit Statement:
A decades-long creative journey pre-empted my inevitable decision to begin a career in architecture in the fall of 2018, a decision galvanized at the historic inauguration of the recently completed Baha’i House of Worship in Santiago, Chile.
The trajectory that has defined my artistic expression can be attributed to four experiences: studies in Fine Art History at the University of Toronto; studies in and affinity for the sciences (particularly chemistry and physics); developing my capacity to participate more effectively in social discourse with the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity; and my Bahá’í identity.
Exposure to the theological, social, scientific, and philosophical frameworks shaping the works of many art practitioners, most notably Piet Mondrian and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, inspired my own work in various media. Much of what Mondrian and Mies’ works strived for—wholeness, universality, honesty, and purpose—resonated with my struggles against false dichotomies and fragmentation perpetuated by a society that pits science and religion against each other. In this light, I found a path that allowed for the understanding, exploration, and assertion of beliefs as a Bahá’í. I also grew convinced of the notion that humankind’s true nature is spiritual and not physical, in such a way that is not divorced from the exigencies and facets of our physical and social reality.
The transition to architecture, years in the making, is the culmination of the last decade’s worth of work, which is reflected upon here.
