Artifice was a semester long project in my MFA program for a class called Book Seminar. We were given a story in which we had to make a series of pieces based on the story in whatever way we choose to interpret it. This year, the story was The Visit to the Museum by Vladimir Nabokov. 

What drew me to this story was the questioning of the reality of museum pieces. So many times I’ve been to museums and seen these artifacts that no one’s really sure where it’s from, when it’s from, or even what it was for. Despite all of our technological innovations, we can still only learn so much from history because of its spotty record keeping. 

Each piece represents a different artifact that either exists or at least, we say it does. Included in this series is a lump of coal that was once Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef, the heart of St. Camillus, Orpheus’ lyre, Haftvad the Lucky Worm, and the Voynich Manuscripts. I wanted the imagery around the frames to give context and story for the artifact that sits in the middle. 

I really loved working with my hands on this project. I’ve never really made sculptures before, so this was a really fun experiment for me. I absolutely loved crafting things, and this definitely opened the door for more possibilities for my work. 

This series premiered at the Chelsea Gallery in Manhattan on May 20th, 2025. 

Materials used include gouache, paper mache, epoxy clay, cardboard, tin foil, newsprint, tissue paper and wire.