How would you describe what you do?

I’m an artist working working with painting, sculpture, and a post-studio practice, but for cash I work for the Community Health Project. We’re a needle exchange that began as an ACT UP committee as an HIV prevention initiative, and now specialize in a multitude of harm reduction tactics as well as overdose prevention.

Can you tell us where you are from?

Born and raised in Atwater Village

What does your morning routine look like?

Wake up, stay in bed for a few minutes, short meditation to get my shit together, make coffee and a small breakfast, and head to work. I’ll go on a run on days I wake up extra early or go into work later in the day.

“Last year, I built a life size model of a house that was half a dope house and half a rehab, comparing practices of praying on the sick and vulnerable. I was more proud of the fact that I was able to build something that big, haha”

Where do you look for inspiration? A place, a person, a book, an action?

Atwater Village as a real neighborhood, as a place where families had lived and known one another for generations, has always been a source. People had known eachother for so long and been dealing with one another for so long, whether they wanted to or not, and everyone knew eachother so well. The relationships I had and still have in my neighborhood are some of the most dynamic and unique I’ve ever experienced. That’s always been a huge source of inspiration. Also, a few artists- Gregg Bordowitz, Mike Kelley, and Adrian Piper, to name a few.

What work are you most proud of?

Last year, I built a life size model of a house that was half a dope house and half a rehab, comparing practices of praying on the sick and vulnerable. I was more proud of the fact that I was able to build something that big, haha

What has been the biggest challenge on your journey?

Self-doubt, comparing myself to others, a lack of confidence a lot of the time- and most obvious, money

Who is someone that has helped you get to where you are now? How were they impactful?

Intellectually, it would be a lot of my teachers in grad school at Cal Arts. Ines Schaber, Andy Freeman, Charles Gaines, and Ashley Hunt especially. They really helped me gain confidence with myself as an artist, and made me comfortable with the idea that it’s ok to be an artist, and although it may not end up the way I expected at the time, it will have been worth it. Also, my friend Anton has basically been a father to me, really just constantly giving me life advice and letting me talk to him when I’m freaking out about some self indulgent bullshit (which is unfortunately more than I’d like it to be). I honestly don’t know where I’d be without him .

How do you define success? What are the goalposts you look out for?

I define success as being able to find humility as I work to take steps ahead, and keeping integrity with the people I love as well as people that I don’t. I really just want to be content, happy whenever the opportunity arises, and to go to sleep knowing I did my best. I don’t think anything else really matters at the end of the day