Large-Scale Works
Sculptures
Three large-scale works — each one cast, welded and built by hand.
Sculpture No. 1
Shield of Linen
Human-scale sculpture · Iron & concrete
Shield of Linen was created shortly after my mother passed away. For as long as I can remember, she collected doilies — delicate pieces that once felt like simple decorations, but now carry deep meaning. I used them in this piece as a symbol of her enduring protection, a soft shield as I navigate life without her.
My mother was incredibly protective of me growing up. At the time, I often found it frustrating. But looking back, I see it for what it truly was — her way of expressing unconditional love. When she became ill, our roles quietly shifted. It was my turn to protect her, to hold her with the same care and devotion she had always given me, until her final days.
This work is both a tribute and a quiet expression of protection, love, and the bond that continues even after loss.
Scale
Human-scale, 5’4″ — yours truly
Technique
Lost wax — iron torso · mechanical connections · concrete base
Base
Concrete
Detail
A cast-iron succulent functions as a screw connecting the torso to the base
Completed
Over a five-year period
$15,000.00
Sculpture No. 2
Open Heart Surgery
My first sculpture · Cast in bronze
This was my very first sculpture ever made. Open Heart Surgery was the catalyst to me recognizing that this medium is what I wanted to work with in my creative practice. From coercing a teacher to let me cast my torso after a failed attempt, to convincing a concrete craftsman and a blacksmith to work with me on how I was going to display her. There were so many hours put in as the sun was rising. This piece led me to reconnect with myself and what I care about.
Open Heart Surgery has also been showcased at the Artery Gallery at Burning Man in 2024.
Year
2019
Medium
Body cast in bronze, concrete, steel
Showcased
Artery Gallery — Burning Man 2024
Milestone
The first sculpture I ever made
Price
$50,000
Not currently listed in the shop.
Sculpture No. 3
Rebirth of Humanity
BFA Show · San Jose State University · 2021
I was commissioned by a dear friend, Tasha Zigarelli, to make a sculpture of her pregnant belly right in the heat of the pandemic. By permission of the mother, this became my BFA project when I graduated from San Jose State University. Because of the pandemic, no one could see the sculpture in person at the Theta Belcher Gallery, so I created what I like to call a visual poem — the work shown in nature, with my voice over.
Rebirth of Humanity is a symbol of a new generation instilled with the compassion the world needs to become a livable one — a resurgence that was thought to be lost; beauty and peace in this world.
Year
2021
Show
BFA Show — San Jose State University (Theta Belcher Gallery)
Medium
Lost-wax cast aluminum torso, bronze-cast anatomical mother and baby hearts, and 56 bronze-cast succulents
Visual poem
Poem written with Joel Hersch; videography and editing by Micheal Daniel with Joel Hersch of Swan Dive Media
Not currently listed in the shop.
The visual poem