Sacrifice Zone LA is an ongoing spatial installation I’ve been developing over the past three years, in collaboration with USC and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. The goal is to visualize the unseen impact of oil on our city. Not just in theory, but in space.

Using satellite data, I created a topographically accurate 3D model of Los Angeles County, which I then translated into a five-by-five-foot clay landscape. After molding, painting, and smoothing the surface (a labor of love and sandpaper), I designed a projection map that layered perfectly atop the terrain. It illuminated data on oil drilling sites, battery plant contamination, and diesel truck traffic with haunting precision.

The final result was both tactile and technological. A living map that invited viewers to see the environmental impact embedded in their everyday geography. This project reminded me that spatial design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about giving shape to systems we often ignore.