Double Exposure

Since 2022, I have been experimenting with double exposure portrait-landscapes. I wanted to find a way to combine my two favorite subject matters, portraits and landscapes, in a visually compelling way.

The bottom section includes my initial monochromatic studies from 2022. My process has evolved a bit since then, and I have started incorporating embroidery into my paintings, as seen below.

Rapha (Healing) Series:
Embroidered Portraits (2023-present)

Artist Statement

Through each drip of paint and pull of thread, I process my emotions and respond to God in worship. In this series, double exposure, the technique used to overlap self-portraits and landscapes, embodies my journey of healing from past trauma, allowing me to express myself through ups and downs while meditating on God’s promises of redemption.

In Hebrew, the word for “healing” is Rapha (רָפָא), literally, “to mend by stitching.” The slow, methodical process of embroidery parallels the gradual experience of recovery. It often feels as if no progress is happening, but little by little, stitch by stitch, an image emerges. I stitch natural imagery, including water, mountains, trees, and flowers, which represent the promises of God’s redemption and restoration in Isaiah that have encouraged me during difficult times. For instance, the verse, “Water will gush forth in the wilderness” (Isaiah 35:6) reminds me of how God will bring refreshment (“water”) amidst spiritual desolation (“wilderness”). The fluidity and transparency of watercolor enhance the water motif in these paintings and convey the unseen, spiritual side of life.

This series is a testimony of God’s faithfulness to me through a difficult season, with the threads of His promises weaving a story of redemption that I want to share with others. In these works, I seek to acknowledge the reality of suffering we all face while also painting a vision of hope that flows amidst the bleakest times.