About the work

This painting was inspired by the Venn diagram. A Venn diagram uses overlapping shapes to illustrate the differences, similarities, and relationships between distinct things. It's a fun concept to learn as a kid in elementary school, but I've come to see Venn diagrams as a useful and beautiful map of human relationships. What do we have in common with the people in our lives? How are we different? The connection that we have with one binds us to another and creates a web of relationships, both simple and complex. We're linked to both the past and the future through these connections. This painting is essentially a portrait of my people: parents, grandparents, husband, children, relatives, and dear friends. I chose to do some shapes clear and bright and others a little more muddy and complicated, which felt accurate to real life. Some shapes take up a lot of space, and some are obscured. Although they are different sizes, colors, and shapes - what binds them are their similarities. The negative spaces - the differences - are also just as vital to the composition, which is also true in relationships.