New York NY: The Epicenter

"New York NY: The Epicenter" (acrylic paint, oil/wax crayon, and pencil on heavy watercolor paper) reflects on New York City’s recurring place at the center of America’s most defining crises, from the attacks of September 11, 2001, to the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the iconic Planet of the Apes image, the Statue of Liberty appears amid layered views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the former Twin Towers, and present-day One World Trade Center. These overlapping landmarks collapse past and present as giant viral cells descend upon lower Manhattan, evoking the city’s vulnerability, endurance, and symbolic role in the nation’s collective memory.