I am a Queer artist-art therapist from the South Side of Chicago who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in fine art and an MA in Art Therapy and Counseling. My art practice is informed by my community-driven art therapy practice, which incorporates fiber crafts, queer theory, and activism. My artworks range from embroideries and quilts to comics and a handmade plush toy line I call “Yarnies.” My artworks are soft, cuddly, and invite participation. They entice people to come close, where underlying messages about Queer advocacy become evident.

My art therapy practice has spanned multiple age groups, from children, adolescents, and young adults to elders. My work is grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory and a social justice focus, as implemented through collective crafting. The Queer community and our collaborators collectively create inclusive spaces that are communal, participatory, and open-ended. These spaces provide the opportunity for constructing alternative narratives that reject the dominance of heteronormativity. In individual art therapy sessions, I foster a collaborative, client-centered, and art-based therapeutic relationship through which the clients can explore their personal concerns, intersectional identities, and cultural narratives.

I strive to broaden Queer representation by way of both my art and art therapy practices. Through the sessions I run, the community-based art projects I facilitate, and the Yarnies I create, I am committed to Queer advocacy.