"My fate as an artist was sealed the day I was introduced to the world of Japanese animation. Even now, almost 15 years later, I remain captivated by this art form, it providing me with everything from aesthetic inspiration, to a fantastical escape from reality. In developing my own work, this near fanatical interest in anime has since acted as a gateway for me to explore other aspects of Japanese history and culture. That in turn led me to research other East Asian cultures, until pretty soon I found myself virtually traveling all around the world, looking at historical art, clothing styles, food, folklore, mythology, and everything in between. I love it when I come across parallels between cultures, or the same subject, but a completely different interpretation. This is especially relevant because I enjoy playing with symbolism in my work, and inspired by various world perspectives, I like to juxtapose a symbol's different meanings as a way to shed a new light on them for others. My illustration work is done with watercolors and pen and ink, occasionally with some acrylic paint. Color is secondary to the line work, giving the work a certain flatness, and in combination with lots of intricate detail, it reflects the deep impact that East Asian art has had on me."