This work incorporates paper packaging from my home as well as paper bags that I have acquired through point-of-sale purchases or take-away meals. I find beauty in the design and function of these throw-away materials brought out further by rubbing graphite and oil pastel into the surfaces.

I first began working with recyled materials while living in Oman. There was limited professional grade art materials available, as well access to supplies was limited during the pandemic. I began to experiment with readily available materials that otherwise would end up in the trash. I saved rather than threw out cardboard food packaging paper bags to use as drawing supports . Applying oil pastel color to the surfaces I developed abstract compositions by taking notice of how areas such as dried glue stained differently than areas that were torn.

Once the surfaces were covered in colour I folded the boxes to expose embedded textures and printed labels. Interspersed within the assemblage are other single use products, such as twist ties, plastic bottle tops, fast food condiment packets, stir sticks and plastic bags from restaurants and convenience stores.

The work was originally made in my studio over an extended period of time was then reassembled within the gallery space revealing a trail of my everyday consumer routines.

Living in Oman we were provided with two recycling bins, one for household waste and one for yard waste. We filled these bins weekly only to witness on garbage collection days, the bins were dumped into the same truck regardless of their contents. It seemed pointless to sort when everything ended up in the same place. I felt the materials were better put to use in my studio.