Exquisite Corpse is about mortality. I’m interested in the idea that every feeling and physical state is fleeting—happiness, sadness, indifference, life, youth—except death.

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I use animals that float across a surreal, misty void, locked into dreamy acrobatics as outlets for symbolism. Deer are fragile, vulnerable bodies, terrified of pursuit, and wolves are dangerous but passionate pursuers; newborn ducklings represent blurring between life and death. Memento mori, such as dried flowers, periodically occupy empty space, like flashes of memory or intrusive thoughts. When I imagine dying, I imagine it being so physically traumatic that it transcends understanding—the experience takes on the same surrealist qualities I represent in my work. Limited color palettes allow me to focus on form and line.

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Every day is important, precisely because the next one isn’t guaranteed: happiness will always come again, and hardship will always pass. Knowing that we will die is a privilege.