Wings of Becoming: 1000 Studies in Transformation

Wings of Becoming is a long-term, evolving body of work composed of one thousand butterfly-shaped paintings created over several years. Inspired by the monarch butterfly and its migration across North America—from Canada, through the United States, to Mexico—the project explores transformation as a gradual, lived process shaped by movement, endurance, and time.

The monarch holds both biological and cultural significance. Its journey mirrors stories of migration, return, and resilience, while its presence in Mexican tradition is often associated with memory and renewal. These layers of meaning align with the artist’s ongoing exploration of the cycles of life: growth and decay, fragility and strength, departure and becoming.

Each butterfly is hand-painted on wood and cut to the silhouette of a monarch. While the form remains consistent, no two works are alike. Some appear vibrant and intact; others suggest stress, erosion, or wear. All are signed, numbered in the order they are created, and dated on the back, marking time rather than titles.

Released gradually in sets of twelve, Wings of Becoming functions as a living archive—one that unfolds publicly and intentionally. Rather than presenting transformation as a finished state, the work honors becoming as an ongoing condition, shaped by experience, passage, and change.