Sea of Lost Noses and Mouths
Approximately 72 × 84 inches

Painted during the pandemic, Sea of Lost Noses and Mouths reflects a time when the most expressive parts of the human face were suddenly hidden, regulated, and psychologically muted under mask mandates. The layered, looping brushstrokes evoke fragments of mouths, noses, breath, and gestures—repeated and submerged within a dense, vibrant field of color, suggesting both anonymity and collective presence. While the imagery hints at obscured identity and interrupted expression, the palette insists on vitality, sensation, and the irrepressible energy of humanity beneath restriction. Rather than depicting loss literally, the work transforms absence into movement, creating an ocean of partially concealed faces blending into one shared emotional landscape. The painting holds the tension between containment and aliveness, silence and connection, capturing how humanity continued to pulse, adapt, and remain vibrantly present even when its most human features were covered.