“Emotions are messy. My process of making is messy.  My creative inspiration revolves around the idea of catharsis, my emotional release through personal life experiences, memories, and place in life. I direct my subject matter to landscape and plants, especially any organic forms that are created naturally. Nature captures the true raw, physical, and intimate beauty in the world, a vulnerability in it – an emotional naked truth. I explore digging deeper to understand the complexity of every human emotion and place in life. Tulips are my vehicle that I use to express myself without using the human body; my self-portrait resides in the depth of the materials. Some lines and forms surface through while others are hidden. The multiple layers of materials are endlessly changing and evolving symbolizing growth through life’s ups and downs.  Eventually, the organic tulip forms and other forms or lines become abstracted through the different materials. These come to life through bold colors, thick texture, tension in marks, repetitive lines, energetic movement, and open language on the surface.”

— Kayla Borell, Artist’s Statement 2019