Artist Statement

“Artists throughout history have sought to return to the immediacy of a child’s mark—a way of making rooted in curiosity, instinct, and wonder. I see this quality in the ways children naturally draw and paint.

Working closely with my own kids, I’m constantly learning from the way they approach art. Their marks are immediate and unguarded. They respond to the materials in front of them without overthinking or worrying about whether the result is right or wrong. There is a freedom and honesty in that process that I believe artists and art admirers can learn from.

As adults, we often lose this immediacy through expectations, academia, the art market, or our own hesitation to be vulnerable. This project creates space for young people to make freely and allows their marks to remain visible, layered, and unfiltered.

Their marks are not secondary—they are the work. By bringing these marks together, I hope to preserve that sense of discovery and remind us of the wonder and magic that can happen when we simply begin to make.”