Artist Statement

I am a lighting designer and theatre artist based in Chicago. As a child, I enjoyed exploring art in all its forms from paper mâché to coloring books, yet had no real attachment to any visual art medium. During my freshman year of high school, I was introduced to lighting design and something in my brain finally clicked. Learning about electrics and the mechanics of lighting design finally gave me tools to express my creativity. Beginning in my freshman year of college, I gained extensive lighting design experience working on numerous student-produced works at Northwestern University.

Following the 18-month COVID-19 shut down of in-person theatre productions, I gained a newfound appreciation for collaboration, empathy, and teamwork. I found that my designs could not be fully realized unless they aligned with each design element of a show. Since then, my design process has been deeply collaborative. The projects I seek and most enjoy are those where communication flourishes between and among the design team members.

My approach to design begins with the belief that any emotional response is informed and constrained by the physical environment in which that response takes place. I have found cohesion between design elements essential to intentionally shaping this physical environment. By weaving together the design elements of a show, we create a connective tissue that deepens the audience’s understanding of and connection to the show. I am excited by the design task of transporting an audience out of the theatre and into the specific environment and world of the show. I am passionate about light as an art form.  As I look to the future, I’ll continue to prioritize working on projects that seek to create visceral responses from audience members through an intentional combination of the action on the stage and the design elements shaping the physical environments of the audience and the actors.