FERVENT METAMORPHOSIS (2026)

BFA Thesis Project, University of Colorado Denver

Fervent Metamorphosis is a large scale interdisciplinary work which combines oil painting, sculpture and alternative photographic processes. This work examines the internal process of transformation and the trauma, pain and beauty which accompanies it. At its core, my work examines the relationship between the grotesque and the beautiful, two conditions that exist together as fundamental aspects of human experience. By combining elements of historical painting traditions from the romantic era, with contemporary interdisciplinary art practices, I explore themes of transformation, vulnerability, and the relationship between the human body and the natural world. These materials function not only as techniques but as conceptual tools that shape the meaning of the work. By combining historical influences with contemporary interdisciplinary practices, I have developed a process that allows material and imagery to work together in expressing ideas about vulnerability, renewal, and the relationship between body and nature. Rather than functioning as separate disciplines, these mediums become part of a single visual language shaped through layering and physical interaction. Looking forward, I am increasingly interested in expanding this work into much larger-scale pieces inspired by artists such as Anselm Kiefer, whose monumental use of materials creates immersive environments that surround the viewer. In future work, I hope to develop larger installations in which painting, photographic processes, and sculptural elements occupy space more fully, allowing viewers to experience transformation not only visually but physically.

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