Often the subject of my paintings is social culture and nightlife, reflecting the interior of bars, clubs and cafes. I examine these environments not strictly as a painter, but also as a photographer using the medium of paint.
My concepts stem from a background in design where formal concerns are paramount; balance, structure and colour are vital in my compositions.
Photography is instrumental to my process, I use the camera as a tool to capture variations in imagery. It acquires more than is already there, allowing blurring, distortion and movement to appear. This variation fascinates me; the patterns of light, vibrant colour, reflections, silhouettes and shadows. The resulting images are semi-abstract, while remaining reminiscent of their realist beginnings.
My new series of portraits takes this captivation further by incorporating a deeply personal study of identity and femininity. The subjects; female icons or personal friends, merge with their respective backgrounds, each coming through the other to suggest not only the multi-faceted complexity of their own personal identities, but a higher connectivity to a universal creative dimension.
Inspired by ancient Hindu and Buddhist deities reflecting the divine mother; Sarasvati, Tara, and Prajnaparamita, the women in this personal project are revered for radiating the intrinsic virtues their titles suggest: strength, spirit, will, light, hope…
