I guess I am ruthless too because that's what makes a great artist. But I also respect people, I don't go around stepping on their heads.

Some people must go to extremes to get the world in balance for themselves. Some can't bear bright lights, so wherever they go they search for the dark; they turn the lights down, anything to sustain some level of comfort.

I was always very... impatient about showing my paintings to people.

The thing about living in New York is that there are other artists; that is the most difficult, I think they are the hardest critics.

I like when people get really close to the paintings, when they can't really get away from them, I like them to operate in that way on the viewer.

Many people say to me, "I saw [Miral] and it really stayed with me. I woke up the next day and really thought about it, and have been thinking about it for awhile." That was my goal.

Maybe my work looks a little crazy, a little insane, but I don't really see myself as a crazy artist or a shaman artist.