The concept for Nudes in the Jungle was born in the stagnant heat of 2021. Newly diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), my world had suddenly contracted; travel was impossible, and my own body felt like an unpredictable vessel of systemic disturbances and chronic pain.

​

Lying on my studio floor, I began to daydream of an escape. I imagined figures—vital, whole, and unburdened—submerged in the lush, indifferent strength of tropical foliage. I wondered if by placing the human form within such a thriving environment, I could transcribe that resilience onto my own experience.

​

While my signature "painting with paper" style was already established, this piece demanded a new level of ambition. Spanning 36x48 inches, I used a solid acrylic base to ground the composition, then hand-layered thousands of fragments to build a rhythmic topography that mirrored my own journey of physical reconstruction. What began as a private act of comfort evolved into the Nudes in Nature series: a body of work born from pain, but dedicated to the healing power of resilience.