I have always found the story in the painting to be its most compelling aspect.  My task as artist is therefore not unlike that of the storyteller. In my paintings I seek to offer a glimpse of a moment in the life of a particular character, be it a person, an animal, or some fantastical creature.  I would like the viewer to reflect on the story of these characters, to ask where they come from, what they will be doing next, and in what ways their journeys mirror that of the viewer. 
As a person who grew up in various cultural and linguistic contexts, I appreciate the metaphor suggested by the concept of the collage: the contrasting textures of the materials used may absorb or reflect light to varying degrees, but together they form a unity of singular richness.  If the viewer discovers in my artwork a tapestry of stories reminiscent of cultures geographically far apart, and yet artistically and humanly interconnected, I will have succeeded on a very personal level.