"The Falconi Twins"

Photo and pigmented beeswax combine on Kozo and wood panel.
36 x 24 x 1.5 inches

I celebrate the subtleties of identity by creating fictional visual biographies from historically marginalized communities and underrepresented voices. "The Falconi Twins" portrays the resilience of two women from my childhood town who defied societal expectations in the 1970s. These women lived together, posed as twin sisters, and dressed identically to evade the scrutiny of the conservative community. In truth, they were a gay couple seeking refuge in a world that struggled to accept them for who they truly were.

This portrait is a fusion of orphaned vintage photographs, my photographs, abstract drawings, and antique ephemera in subtle layers of pigmented beeswax on Kozo. I replicated a solitary figure to create a twin, etched intricate patterns and sgraffito onto the platform, balustrade, and figures to weave a narrative of secrets and shared experiences that remain unreadable to outsiders. This is a portrait of the power of love, resilience, and enduring bonds.    

My foundation in illustration has informed my work as a storyteller, placing narrative at the center of my practice. The figure carries these stories, holding layers of memory, identity, and imagined experience. Through this lens, my background in illustration serves as a quiet guide, shaping portraits that speak to both personal resonance and shared cultural truths.