I created these drawings as the McClure-Scanlin Artist in Residence at the Lillian E. Smith Center during the summer of 2022. While taking solitary walks in the woods, making videos, and gathering images to explore through drawing, I contemplated the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, which deals with power, consent, safety, and bodily ownership themes. Daphne, a nymph pursued by Apollo, transforms into a laurel tree to desperately escape his lustful advances. Yet, even after this transformation, he still takes from her in tree-form, declaring the laurel his tree, using her leaves to adorn his hair and her wood to make his bow and lyre. Although I felt protected in the residency environment, there is an inherent danger in inhabiting a feminine-presenting body. Most of these drawings occur before the transformation, where the viewer becomes the voyeur to the unsuspecting nymph.

I also created related video art works which can be viewed here.