My art is an outgrowth of my mathematical work.
My research studies curves and surfaces
determined by optimization principles or minimization of
energy. A classical example is a soap bubble which is round
because it minimizes its area while enclosing a fixed volume.

Like most research mathematicians, I find beauty in the elegant
structure of mathematical proofs, and I feel that this elegance
is discovered, not invented, by humans. I am fortunate that my
own work also leads to visually appealing shapes, which can
present a kind of beauty more accessible to the public.

"Minimal Flower 3" is an homage to Brent Collins, whose sculptures
have been very inspirational.  For this sculpture, I designed
the boundary curve and an initial surface by hand, and then used
software to model a minimal surface.  This, mathematically, is the
optimal shape a soap-film spanning across the boundary would achieve.
The geometric equilibrium of a minimal surface, where the curvatures
of the surface always balance in a saddle, adds to its beauty.