georgia roots

this painting is an ode to where I’m from and what home is to me.

This painting is a part of Roads We Belong To, a series of surreal portraits merged with place to represent how the places we go become a part of us. How we are connected to where we’ve been, if it deeply has moved us. This painting is about where my actual home is, where I’m truly rooted. I think home can be a place, a memory, a person…

For me, my home is Georgia. It’s where I was born, where I grew up, where my small family lives. My home is also tied to my longest friend, who I met in Georgia when I was 4, and has been the backbone of my childhood and now my life in Georgia. It only made sense for Madie Ice, my chosen family, to represent my home state in this series of state-based paintings, where this state represents my home.

When Madie and I were both around 9/10 years old, I actually moved away from where we grew up in Snellville to the Lake Lanier area (about 1 hour away). That forced us to make memories in new places, which is exactly what we did. We spent summers having photo shoots, paddle boarding, having bonfires, swimming, and hiking all around Lake Lanier. That’s where this reference photo of Madie came from. It was a natural decision to depict her as this strong, unmovable, rooted tree in Lake Lanier. It’s a metaphor to how permanent she is in my life.

The two birds are two mourning doves, common birds all over North America and one of my personal favorites. They’re loyal, they are partners for life. The birds extend this narrative of permanence and loyalty, this foreverness. The commitment that can come with deep platonic friendship/companionship, when friends become chosen family!

I love you Madie Ice, thank you for showing me true sisterhood<3

Georgia Roots, Acrylic on 36” x 36” Canvas, 2024

REFERENCES + WIP!