Things I Need to Say

   Things I Need to Say is a one-of-a-kind artist's book that gives visual form to the words we carry but do not always speak aloud. 

   Combining imagery, text, and interactive paper structures, the work explores themes of communication, silence, vulnerability, 

   and human connection. Each page reveals another layer of thought and emotion, inviting viewers to reflect on the power of 

   honesty, the weight of withheld words, and the conversations that shape our lives—even when they remain unfinished.

   Artist Statement

   Books have traditionally served as vessels for preserving knowledge, stories, and memory. In Things I Have to Say, the book

    becomes something different—a place where language hesitates, fragments, and struggles to emerge.

   Each translucent page reveals only portions of a larger conversation. Words are obscured, interrupted, stitched together, or 

   physically constrained by thread, nails, and layered materials. Meaning is discovered gradually rather than delivered 

   immediately, echoing the way difficult truths are often experienced in life. Some thoughts remain unfinished. Others are 

   concealed beneath memory, fear, expectation, or silence.

The work explores the tension between what is spoken and what remains unspoken. It asks how personal history, relationships, grief, regret, and hope become embedded not only in language but also in the physical act of making. Every cut, stitch, fold, and puncture becomes part of the narrative, allowing the structure of the book to communicate alongside the text itself.

The flowing red and gold fibers extending beyond the covers function as visual metaphors for thought and emotion. They refuse containment, suggesting that ideas continue to exist beyond the boundaries of the page. What cannot yet be articulated nevertheless remains present.

Rather than offering a single narrative, Things I Have to Say invites viewers to construct meaning through slow observation. Transparency, layering, and movement require the reader to physically engage with the object, revealing that understanding is rarely immediate and that every page alters the interpretation of those before it.

For me, artist books exist at the intersection of sculpture, literature, and performance. They are not simply books to be read, but spaces to be experienced. In this work, the act of turning pages becomes an act of listening—to memory, to silence, and to the words still waiting to be spoken.

Year: 2026

Medium: Mixed media artist's book

Structure: concertina

Materials: Archival papers, mixed media, thread, glass beads

Dimensions:   closed                 7” x 4” x 1.25”

                         fully extended  7” x 25.25” x .1”

Edition: Unique

Status: Available