Artist Statement
My Father’s Childhood is a reflection on the parts of my father’s life that are revealed to me as I dig through his old collections in the attic of my house. For many people, their parents’ childhood feels like a mystical tale; this series explores my personal relationship with my father as I attempt to learn more about his life. These realistic gouache paintings serve as portraits of my father as a child and how this childhood might shape his current reality. I find comfort in seeing a version of my father unhardened by adult life and military service, a person before they took on the responsibility of others. The reality is that I will never truly know my dad the way he knows me, but my hope is that by spending time with these objects in such intimacy, I might get to know my father in a deeper way.