Pyrography is the art of systematically applying heat at various temperatures and pressures to control the amount of char on your surface. It literally burns and scars the material forever; even if you were to strip everything off, and cover it in a new layer of paint, the marks would still be there. For me, this medium represents the searing, unforgettable trauma that comes with being a marginalized, minoritized person in this country, not to mention the scars that will forever be etched into the history of our nation and the memories of all of those who witness these atrocities.

 

I have used pyrography to explore and place my own style and inspiration into the tradition of iconography. This series is a Passion narrative paralleled through the lives of modern (i.e. people who were alive in my lifetime) American heroes. These modern-day saints remind us not to let the scars of the past become invisible; it’s only with these non-erasable images that we can constantly be reminded to stay vigilant. Some of these icons are inspired by traditional works of art, others are original ideas inspired by the historical iconographic tradition.