Artist Statement – Mixed Media

Photography Transformed by Hand

Four years ago, I was drawn to develop a new mixed media process that transforms my own photographs through gel plate printmaking and painting. What began as curiosity quickly became a deeply committed practice. I aim to slow photography down and give it a tactile, physical presence.

I work exclusively with my own photographs, first converting them to high-contrast black and white and printing them using a monochrome laser printer. The image is then transferred onto a gel plate using black acrylic paint. After the transfer dries, I work reversely, painting on the back of the image or applying layers of white acrylic, before printing the image from the gel plate onto heavy mixed media paper. Many works are further developed with additional hand-painting after the transfer.

This process is technically demanding and highly sensitive. Paper choice, paint thickness, pressure, timing, and drying time are all crucial. I am entirely self-taught; I never took workshops or formal classes. Instead, I learned through persistent trial and error, repeating the process hundreds of times until the results reached the clarity and depth I was seeking.

The resulting images carry a sense of nostalgia. They often remind me of the old magazines from my childhood, slightly worn and imperfect in a way that feels human and intimate. This emotional resonance is central to my work and informs both my process and subject matter.

Over time, I refined my focus to three recurring themes: quiet street corners and street views, trees, and vintage or antique objects encountered during my travels. These subjects allow space for stillness and reflection.

My mixed media work brings together photography transformed by hand, gel plate printmaking, and painting. Each piece is the result of patience, physical engagement, and a deliberate slowing of the photographic image, allowing it to move beyond documentation and into something tactile and personal.