In his Book of Questions, Pablo Neruda asks, “Why do trees conceal the splendor of their roots?”
I am a sculptor, living and working in the Washington, D.C. area. My current works consist primarily of large-scale, vividly colored steel structures derived from various plant roots. Many of these sculptures are site-specific or site-responsive – like their real-life counterparts, my sculptures explore their environment, invading garden spaces, crawling up castle walls, even spanning a Venetian canal. The genesis of this was inspired by an unexpected intrusion: a tornado overturned a large silver maple tree in my front yard. This experience inspired me to explore what grows above the ground but more importantly, what lies hidden in the concealed roots below.
My installations have been displayed in solo exhibitions at the Triennale Museum, Milano, Italy; the Kreeger Museum Sculpture Garden and the World Bank Art Program, Washington DC; the Villa Fiorentino and Palazzo Gargiulo in Sorrento, Italy; the Arsenale in Venice, Italy (on the occasion of the 54th International Venice Biennale); on the Palazzo Morgagni in Rome Italy; in the James Madison University's Sawhill Gallery; in the Greater Reston Arts Center; the American University Museum's Katzen Arts Center; at Galleria Ca’ d’Oro in New York City and Miami, Florida; and on the walls of Castello Lanza di Trabia, Sicily. My work was included in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018.
I serve on the Advisory Board of the Washington Sculptors’ Group. My work has been reviewed in Sculpture Magazine, Art Papers, Home & Design, among other American and international publications.
