“My current practice revolves around the everyday lives of young boys living within Scarborough Ontario and the trajectory at which they become involved in unlawful activity. My work uses the innocence of butterflies as a tool to encourage nuanced thought when discussing these topics. I believe that there is an important question that many people forget to ask when hearing stories of young men doing criminal acts such as stealing, robbing, or selling substances. That question being, what are these young men enduring at home and how can we show them that they are capable of much more? I also use the idea of a dome or forcefield to express how the young men within these spaces cannot see the world outside their environment. Each generation copies what they see within their neighbourhoods creating a never ending cycle. I felt drawn to creating these pieces due to the personal effects it has had on me within recent years and I strongly believe that by creating paintings on this topic I can create space for those who are alike to me. Along with that, my intent is to bring awareness to those who do not understand the "why" behind it all and start the conversation on how we can break the cycle.”