My work explores the slow, consuming progression of alcoholism and its power to erase identity, a transformation I have witnessed firsthand in a loved one. This series of paintings captures faces in various stages of fading—some still holding traces of who they were, others nearly vanished, lost to the addiction. Blurred edges, fragmented details, and dissolving forms reflect the gradual loss of self, the way a person can slowly disappear while still physically present. Alongside these paintings, a ceramic piece stands as a haunting depiction of a possible tragic outcome, embodying the weight of inevitability and the fragility of a life consumed by addiction. The ceramic vessels in this work represent the potential, tragic outcome of addiction. They reflect a path I fear yet find comfort in confronting through my faith. Faith is about holding onto hope in the unseen, believing in the possibility of change even in the darkest moments.

This transformation is not just a personal loss but a relational one. The person I knew, the one I shared memories with, is slipping away. Replaced by someone claimed by addiction. It is a kind of living death, where their body remains, but their mind and spirit are absent, leaving only a shadow of what was. Through this work, I confront the reality of this change—the shifting identity, the distance that grows between us, and the ways addiction reshapes not just the individual but everyone around them.