I have a deep fascination for the human experience, seeing immense beauty in the multifaceted nature of our existence. I break us down into quantifiable parts: the mind, body and emotions to use as a framework of investigation while I paint. Seeing the mind as pilot, the emotions as weather and the body as vessel, I observe a harmony that I strive to contain. I will often do multiple depictions of my sitters, letting each facet take centre stage so that a portrayal is made with as much truth as possible.
With an intuitive, conscious mind, I begin my process by doing preliminary studies, asking many questions and learning about my sitters. I enjoy building a report from which ideas begin to generate.
Using predominantly oil paint, I endeavour to immortalise the visceral reality of living within flesh and bones. With training in anatomy, I observe how my sitters move through and take up space, taking note of how the mind and emotions seep through our every move. The vessel that we navigate through life need not have conventional beauty; it has the history of our evolution in every inch, the experiences that we’ve had in life painted across its landscape, and it is in our body’s uniqueness that I celebrate.
I have a great emotional need to paint; without it I feel a build-up of intensity that I manage through making artworks. I give voice to emotions through the nature of my application. Using mark making, texture, colour and the combination of different mediums, I extract a language that can only be felt.
I turned to portrait-painting after graduating with a degree in Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance from the University of the Arts London, where I trained in the design and making of prosthetic body parts for theatre, film and television.
After additional training in drawing human anatomy at the Royal Drawing School, I became the youngest member of The Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 2017. I have won numerous awards for my portraiture, including The Arts Club Charitable Trust Award, The de Laszlo Foundation Award for Excellence and the Young Artist Award from the National Portrait Gallery in London to name but a few.