Created during my residency at the Joan Mitchell Center, Borrowed Gesture is a body of work that includes paintings and sculptures exploring materiality and relationality. Drawing from found objects in my immediate environment, the work delves into the processes of decay and regeneration.

After the freeze in 2024, I observed the banana plants in my yard crumple, change color, and regrow from their stumps. The ongoing cycle of decay and expansion fascinated me—not only the visible transformations but also  the unseen root network that sustains these rhizomes below the surface. Captivated by the texture and color of the damaged leaves, I began collecting and documenting them. My habit of foraging expanded to other objects in my daily realm: produce netting from my groceries and fallen bamboo shards from the sidewalk in my neighborhood. These initially discarded items are woven into the work as marks, color and texture, exploring how the materials’ behavior shifts when context changes. By recontextualizing and reconfiguring these objects, I allow them to interact within a new system.

My paintings evolved over time. Borrowing gestures from the ever-changing banana plants, some works are torn and reconstructed, stitched back into new forms that fold in on themselves. With a limited palette and raw canvas left as negative space, I combine colors and shapes to reflect the plants' dynamic process of decay and growth. As the paintings progressed, I began affixing the leaves, netting and bamboo to the canvas and experimenting with gel medium, which led to the creation of sculptures. These suspended constructions, formed from multiple compositions of found materials, come together to create a cohesive whole. Responding to gravity and constantly shifting, the pieces hold energy and reflect systems that are both collapsed and expansive.