I've been deeply interested in the phenomenon of pareidolia ever since I was a very young child. Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to see familiar images such as faces or animals in random or unrelated visual stimuli. It's why we might see an animal in the clouds, rock formations that resemble people, or all kinds of imagery on wood grain surfaces, textured walls, tree bark or the moon’s surface.

Our brains are wired to recognize faces especially quickly, as it's hard wired as an important part of social interaction and was a crucial element of survival when we were living in a much more primitive state. This ability likely evolved to help us identify our fellow humans and environmental threats or opportunities quickly in a visually chaotic environment. So, when our brains encounter ambiguous or random patterns, we sometimes interpret them as faces or other familiar shapes because we're so tuned to recognize them.

Our brains are constantly trying to make sense of the world and this particular visual mechanism can be used as a direct line to our imagination. It's one of the most fascinating instances that show how our state of consciousness is highly suggestible and interpretive.

This phenomenon creates endless possibilities when it comes to art. I often start with no plan in mind allowing the random brush marks to reveal characters and surreal landscapes. I learned over time that my interest lied in painting in order to see instead of seeing in order to paint. It’s a really fun way to work. I want to encourage a deeper engagement with the world around us and endeavor to use my work as an invitation to explore and understand our surroundings with fresh eyes as much as we can.