Instant karma

Education: Fine Art BA – University of Greenwich 2012  

My work hints at the world of myth and folklore, exploring the relationship between humans and animals. The imagery often seems caught somewhere between childhood imagination and adult reasoning, as I gravitate towards using symbolism and allegory in my work. 

The natural elements in my work are exploring the importance of the nature and our connection to it, and at the same time metaphorically dealing with psychological and emotional states. The juxtaposition of humans with other animals in my work is not intended to anthropomorphise these creatures but to highlight our origins and the imbalance we’ve created in the environment.

Through my fragile imagery I subvert traditional representation by hinting at darker consequences. The animals and plants are shattered, fragmented and vandalised. Animals are shown unnatural in their luminescence. My paintings, drawings and sculptures have an other-worldly feel. They hint at the violence in nature and the horror in folklore. I use a sensitive, soft style when depicting my subject matter, that suggests the delicate relationship between man and nature, making a clear point about man's destruction of nature, which flutters jewel-like in the balance.

 Art is escapism for me. I can get lost in a world where nature matters and is transcendently beautiful, when the ugliness of reality can leave me cold and numb. When doors in this world are forever shutting in my face, and I don't know which one to open next I can go and open my door to escape the shadows of negativity for a while, to try and find meaning from the madness through my work. My heart is so often filled with joy and pain, sometimes I want to fly away or let the ground swallow me whole. I often think I feel too much and too deeply, sometimes it feels like my nerves are constantly shot - and art has always been my journey home.  

The Dadaists and the Surrealists influenced me in my early years as their exploration of the metaphysical really inspired me. Their work has often been described as dream-like and otherworldly, as has mine. My work comes from a spiritual perspective, exploring the idea of the ‘numinous’ and the ‘sublime’. Creativity is essentially a spiritual practice for me. I use traditional techniques of drawing and painting to depict my subject matter, and have recently used incongruous materials such as wallpaper and disposable items' which highlights the imbalance we have caused in the environment.