Hi, my name's Michelle. I've lived in Portland, Oregon, for about seven years and am a senior at Portland State University pursuing a BFA in Art Practices. As a neurodivergent person who identifies as queer and fat, I am aware of the lack of representation of marginalized people in art spaces. I firmly believe that witnessing bodies or experiences akin to one's own portrayed in a neutral or affirmative light holds significant empowering potential. 

I am deeply committed to representing marginalized people and bodies in neutral or positive ways in my art. In my artistic practice, I utilize vibrant and bold colors to craft figurative works which cover topics of fat liberation, LGBTQIA+ identities, mental health issues, neurodivergence, and silliness. Through my art, I endeavor to cultivate spaces of visibility, affirmation, and inclusion for marginalized communities while exploring the vulnerability of multifaceted intersections of identity and liberation.

     I am a painter who enjoys working with oil, acrylic, and watercolor mediums, with a particular fondness for oil paint. After weeks of preparation, there’s nothing quite like the moment when I take my brush, loaded with paint, and glide the first stroke of color across the surface, much like spreading soft butter on toasty bread. Adding layers of color to surfaces brings me a unique joy. Recently, I’ve expanded my creative repertoire to include textiles, incorporating needle felting, weaving, and needlepoint into my process.