I began this series after my father unexpectedly died in 2009. I was unable to work for several months after his death, and when I returned to my practice I was surprised to see a radical shift in the work. These paintings emerged from this personal experience of grief and loss.

Sumi ink holds a special place for me. My father and I learned traditional Chinese painting techniques together, so this medium is infused with those memories of us being beginners together.

I began by splashing sumi ink against the surface of paper or clayboard. From there, working without self-censorship, I excavated images revealed by my subconscious. They are, in a sense, DIY Rorschach tests and became ways through which I could begin to understand the impact of profound chaos – what happens to us when the existential rug is pulled out from under us.