Baptism (for the root chakra) 
Pigment, acrylic dirt and matte medium on canvas, 2025

Baptism (for internalized transphobia) 
Salt, pigment, acrylic and dirt on canvas, 2025 

Baptism (for my repossessed car Athena) 
Salt, pigment, acrylic, and dirt in canvas, 11' x 6', 2025 

About Desert Painting Series  

These relief sculptures are part of a series I began when I moved to Albuquerque from California. The work is a continuation of a practice I began last year, that transforms making into a ritual for healing.  Out of the process of creation is an object that holds space for healing and intention.  

The works were made outdoors on the ground, with earth, water, salt and pigment.  As with baptism in a religious setting, in making these paintings I used water to wipe away the past and heal blocks around loss, internalized transphobia, and self-doubt.   

Through the project I hope to draw a connection between the ritual of baptism and coming out as trans, with both experiences sharing choosing a new name, aligning oneself with a new, chosen community and committing oneself and one’s body to a higher calling. 

Installed at the Transgender resource center of new mexico in Albuquerque, Nm from Nov 2025 - Jan 2026