Mountains

In 2017, a journey to the Zhangjiajie Mountains in China profoundly shaped my artistic direction. The towering sandstone pillars — rising over 1,000 meters from the forest floor and known globally through the Avatar I movie — felt both ancient and transcendent. Compelled by their scale and presence, I translated these forms into a series of three large charcoal works that explore monumentality, atmosphere, and quiet power. 

Mountains are central to my life and practice. As a hiker and climber, I am drawn to them as symbols of endurance, courage, and inner resolve. From the Annapurna Base Camp circuit in Nepal to the summit of Mount Agung in Bali, each ascent culminates in a moment above the clouds — an experience of awe, perspective, and spiritual clarity. These moments of elevation, where earth and sky seem to converge, continue to shape the emotional and conceptual foundation of my work. I have since created other mountain paintings in oil and acrylic.