Mortal Radiance
Location
FA-203
Start Date
1-5-2026 12:30 PM
Department
Art + Design
Abstract
My work explores how mortality and memory shape identity through drawings of skeletons, angels, and humanoid figures rendered in bold neon color. I use the skeleton as a universal internal structure to highlight both our fragility and endurance. By reducing the figure to its essential form, I remove surface details and focus on the core of human experience—how past experiences remain with us and influence who we become. The skeletal and angelic figures are not literal representations, but symbolic forms that reflect change, vulnerability, and growth. In my work, life and death are not opposites but connections that shape our understanding of ourselves. Through bold line work, strong compositions, contrast, and vibrant neon color, I create imagery that is both visually immediate and emotionally layered in meaning. Color plays a central role in my process, as I carefully select combinations that reflect particular moods and intensify the atmosphere of each piece. I primarily work with markers, pencils, and spray paint on large canvases, using scale to allow my figures to fully occupy the space and confront the viewer with presence and concentration. My process begins with personal reflection, translating memory and internal experience into expressive poses, gestures, and environments. I study body language to ensure that each figure communicates clearly and powerfully. Through this work, I invite viewers to move beyond observation into recognition, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and see fragments of themselves within the figures before them.
Faculty Sponsor
Nate Matthews
Mortal Radiance
FA-203
My work explores how mortality and memory shape identity through drawings of skeletons, angels, and humanoid figures rendered in bold neon color. I use the skeleton as a universal internal structure to highlight both our fragility and endurance. By reducing the figure to its essential form, I remove surface details and focus on the core of human experience—how past experiences remain with us and influence who we become. The skeletal and angelic figures are not literal representations, but symbolic forms that reflect change, vulnerability, and growth. In my work, life and death are not opposites but connections that shape our understanding of ourselves. Through bold line work, strong compositions, contrast, and vibrant neon color, I create imagery that is both visually immediate and emotionally layered in meaning. Color plays a central role in my process, as I carefully select combinations that reflect particular moods and intensify the atmosphere of each piece. I primarily work with markers, pencils, and spray paint on large canvases, using scale to allow my figures to fully occupy the space and confront the viewer with presence and concentration. My process begins with personal reflection, translating memory and internal experience into expressive poses, gestures, and environments. I study body language to ensure that each figure communicates clearly and powerfully. Through this work, I invite viewers to move beyond observation into recognition, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and see fragments of themselves within the figures before them.