As an artist I exist in a state of permanent contradiction; my portraits capturing unwanted feelings of otherness, uncomfortable moments, the image only worked on until the subject is revealed and brought into the light, thus rendering the feeling no longer a burden.  It is a shedding of emotion that drives these portraits and the lightness that follows is complete when I can look at the physical nature of the feeling.

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Through my large scale textile work I further this "bringing into the light" by creating warmth, comfort, and immersive story telling, where visitors can interact with parts of the work, wrapping themselves into it and feeling as one. 

 

I tend to work in a circular way, often dreaming a phrase or a series of words, this then becoming a short story or a poem which then inspires a physical output. There is an element of surrendering to the process, once the story or poem has been established, this gives the textile work a free form and abstract nature that cannot be accomplished by machine. Making space for human error, which is such a beautifully natural thing...

 

Using hand stitching, appliqué, trapunto and other textile manipulation techniques, I bring home the feeling of community and togetherness that is missing from the portraiture. It is a ritual of reconciliation, a bringing together of my shadow and my self, and building the community I subconsciously long for.

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Sourcing predominantly recycled, up-cycled, and deadstock materials has been integral to my development as an artist. Having previously studied fashion design and extensively researched the waste that is created by the industry, it has become a huge motivation in the sustainable approach to my art. I often use found objects to paint onto, enjoying the juxtaposition of something so traditional and "high art" as an oil portrait, painted on something so trashy as the back of a broken cupboard or a pizza box.

 

My vision going forward is to expand on the abstract textural work I am making, to grow organically larger into a delicious mass of overflowing warmth that everyone goes "Oooh" and "Ahhh" at.

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