I am a UK based artist, who’s atypical upbringing of living on both a boat and in a caravan has largely influenced my work as a result of how I perceive the world and social structures. My interest in sociology and politics are reflected as the key focuses of the work I produce. Through mostly appropriation and juxtaposing comparisons, my art aims to humour the spectator while simultaneously inflicting a nihilistic world view. This contradiction in itself is intended to provide further satire.  

 I take inspiration for content of my social commentary-based works from a diverse selection of sources. Ideas can be catalysed from my examination of the contemporary world, comparing it to my contextual and researched knowledge of other relevant subject matters. I also stimulate ideas from entertainment-based sources, for instance, the daily news, from a range of outlets as a way of being as objective as possible. Stand-up comedy from performers such as Frankie Boyle and Dane Baptiste. Books from the likes of Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and textbooks on sociology and psychology. There are not many artists that have guided my content, more so my materials and methods. However, the Chapman Brothers have been significant in influencing the way I think about how my art will be viewed by spectators, which affected my path towards creating satirical art with a darker subtext.

 My fascination of chemistry, and admiration of Renaissance and Baroque artists, the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci and Hogarth, has been central to informing my practice in regard to materials and methods. From reading Da Vinci’s notebooks and studying the methods of renaissance artists alongside the materials they use; I was able to create my most recent works in much the same way. For example, my ink illustrations were created using Oak Gall ink I had made from scratch, with a Goose feather quill I had also made and processed myself. Using the 4 painting modes of the Renaissance: Sfumato, Cangiante, Unione and Chiaroscuro. I appropriated Vermeer’s ‘The Girl with The Pearl Earring’ to my own oil on canvas adaptation of now: ‘The Girl with The AirPods’ (2020). As a result of finding a book of original etching prints from Hogarth and Rembrandt in my university’s library, and an exceptionally welcoming and helpful workshop technician (Justin Sanders – check out his work), emerged my enthusiasm for etching prints. I adore the scientific nature of the process, using acids and relying on chemical reactions to generate the final outcomes of my illustrations is exhilarating.

 Contemplating the future of my art, I propose to develop my skills in each of the range of materials I use, mostly for aesthetic reasons, as I am very much a perfectionist and detailed based artist. However, I predominantly aim to pursue more efficacious ways to affect the spectators of my work. I would like my art to have more of an impact on those viewing it. This is because I feel the subject matters I convey are important concerns of the contemporary world, and the art has little purpose if it does not resonate with the viewer. I may do this through utilising psychological theories, alongside creating visually more disturbing works. I think this is necessary because, as a society we have become so desensitised to depictions of terror, in my opinion, due to frequent exposure of these images and ideologies from a vast variety of media sources.

 Through my university, my work has been exhibited in galleries in Digbeth. I have presented collections such as ‘Politics Matters’ at Minerva Works Gallery (2019). This exhibition focused on class power structures, consisting of a series of oil portraits of politicians which I manipulated to reference significant events that occurred under their power, a red cast of my hand signalling its middle finger, and an appropriated etching. In early 2020 I exhibited my collection that highlighted issues around branding and commodity fetishism. Presenting how they both influence and are influenced by social structures among youth and other frequent users of social media.