Totem grew out of lingering impressions from a trip through Vietnam—snake forms, star shapes, and the deep reds and golds that seemed ubiquitous throughout the country. Those visuals stayed with me when I built this piece, and the figure emerged from them, settling into ceremonial posture that feels both constructed and alive. It’s part guardian, part deity—an image that hints at ritual or ancestry without belonging to any specific tradition. Compared to my more sprawling works, Totem is more concentrated. It compresses its energy into a single body. It feels less like a character I invented and more like a form I uncovered—something shaped by travel, memories, and the language of symbols I’m still trying to understand. In that sense, making it became a quiet way of honoring the experience that inspired it.
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag • 24 × 48 in