For more than a decade, my artwork has been a way to explore meditation through painting. Using oil paint, I have combined mantras and mandalas to create visualizations intended for reflection and calm. My interest in this approach began during my time at IUPUI’s Herron School of Art and Design.

A major source of inspiration came when I watched Buddhist monks carefully create a sand mandala on campus. Each day, I observed their patient, deliberate work, and the peaceful energy of the process stayed with me. That experience led me to explore ways of bringing that same sense of calm into my own art.

I began by incorporating mandalas into my paintings and listening to mantras while working, allowing the rhythms to guide layered abstractions on the canvas. The lotus also became a recurring symbol in my work, appearing in both abstract and conceptual pieces as a representation of growth and mindfulness.

In early 2024, I started working with encaustic painting as part of my Studio Vwazen Fellowship, and it quickly became an extension of my meditative practice. The process of melting and layering wax feels fluid and grounding, allowing me to explore themes of meditation, sacred geometry, and nature in new ways. The tactile experience of working with wax has deepened my connection to my art, turning the act of painting into a practice of presence and reflection.

Whether through oil or encaustic, painting remains a way for me to slow down, focus, and connect with a sense of peace. As I continue to experiment and grow, I hope my work can offer a moment of calm to those who experience it.