Qualia—a term used in philosophy, refers to the subjective or qualitative properties of experiences. In other words, qualia are the attributes of something—its feel or appearance rather than the thing itself.

My latest series Qualia is rooted in that ideology—an acknowledgement that no two people will experience my paintings in the same way. It is also a continuation of my exploration of visual perception and cognition through the interaction of color within the confines of symmetrical patterning.

Color is not static. Its appearance is modified by its relationship to other colors. I use that effect to challenge the predictability inherent in patterns through the juxtaposition and modulation of value and color. The objective term for this effect is simultaneous contrast—the subjective phenomenon is qualia.