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The anatomy of self
The anatomy of self
June 2020
Acrylic & oil on canvas, 600mm diameter each
This quadriptych was painted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period which saw the emergence of Black Lives Matter and the Black Trans Lives Matter movements. These movements, alongside the great work of many activists in recent years, has helped to open my eyes to the issues and lived experiences of trans people all over the world.
Seeing the mainstream media coverage, looking back at old interviews and clips on YouTube, reading peoples’ comments on social media - I felt there was so much misunderstanding and emphasis on anatomy as a determinant of our identities. That our bodies somehow dictate how we should feel and behave. So, my paintings are abstract depictions of the relationship one has between their anatomy and their gender identity.
The colour palette is based on the trans flag, with elements of gold and silver. The splashes of white, gold and silver paint can be interpreted as the viewer’s relationship to that part of their own, or another person’s anatomy. Depending on one’s point of view, it could evoke violence, conflict, distress, arousal, celebration, curiosity. Is it something to accentuate, or eliminate?
This artwork was selected as a finalist for the LGBTQ+ Showcase 2021 at not just a shop @ University of the Arts London. Read more:
Spring & Autumn
Spring & Autumn
April 2016
Acrylic on canvas, 1219 x 914mm each
These two paintings were inspired by the dense foliage and textures of bracken and other ferns on the forest floor. This motif plays between abstract and figurative art, the exaggerated intensity of the colours representing the stages of the plant's lifecycle. This attempts to reconnect the viewer with seasonal change, often invisible in the corporate office setting where it would typically be displayed.
This representation of nature in the built environment draws from biophilic design principles, thought to enhance wellbeing and performance in a workplace. These two works were included in the exhibition 'Biophilia' at KI Europe's showroom in London, Apr-Aug 2016.
'Autumn' was sold during the exhibition's launch party to a private buyer in Notting Hill, London, raising £250 for charity. See full exhibition flyer below:
biophilia-flyer-price-list.pdf
Lifecycle
Lifecycle
April 2014
Acrylic on canvas, 890 x 1240mm
Acrylic paint applied with make-up sponges and fingers directly to the canvas, layering over a base of green and yellow to show various stages of the lifecycle of bracken from its new green shoots in spring, through to its dry winter form. The representation of life and death is also inspired by biophilic design principles of reconnecting us with nature in our built environments that are often stripped of the vulnerability and ephemerality of our own lives.
Life drawing
Life drawing
Various sessions with different models at Thamesmead Life Drawing, each poses of various durations from 5-30 minutes. London, 2020-2025
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