ARTIST STATEMENT

I recently had no choice but to make work facing a mirror; it was in my old bedroom. I ended up back where I started in the very place where I first lifted a paintbrush as a kid. From this not-so-ideal setup, I began to think about myself in scenarios such as transforming into an animal, or something else other than me. It came to fruition that I am also a subject in my practice.

Exploring my past is still and always will be important to me. Using material that represents the essence of old family homes brings both joy and sadness, from this, there is a beauty that lies above. It’s similar to how I feel if I were to morph into something else.

I explore this narrative through a broad range of materials and approaches. Drawing, painting, sculpture, installation- they all have their part to play in keeping the main cog turning. I'm drawn to material in such homes because they hold memory. And for me, memory sparks imagination.

It’s kind of like a dream, a dream I can pluck physical objects and feelings from and bring into reality.

Certain aspects are etched into my head, for instance, polished MDF with mahogany stain that is bleached by the sun over years from sitting beside a window. The netted curtain hung in pleats and beyond that, sunflowers, roses and a greenhouse full of cherry-red tomatoes, not to mention trains crashing behind the rear garden wall that carried with it a smell of hot steel and oil.