Priory Meadow Hastings 22Jul23 to 03Aug23
in collaboration with Hastings Art School and Hypha Studios
Finding the space to understand and heal from years of poor mental health, my work depicts the journey that I have undertaken to create a map of my psyche whilst developing the tools for communicating with a world in which I exist at the borderlines. These revealing compositions explore my enigmatic and often challenging mind, and in this way I consider each one a self portrait.
Taking inspiration from the world around me, in nature and in the city, I am immediately aware of the outlines, the edges; silhouettes and the contrast between light and dark have been predominant in my work and observations for nearly two decades. My paintings are composed of a few simple elements; formal shapes, lines, dots and drops. Where interwoven shapes and lines create spaces in between, emphasising the otherness that exists alongside convention.
I create images that make sense to me, the composition must feel balanced with enough points of interest to prolong one’s attention - I am looking to make paintings that are continually intriguing yet decidedly complete.
As this series developed alongside my own personal development work it began to form a much clearer expression of my voice and style. This has been supported by my participation in Hasting Art School. Being encouraged to challenge my intentions and approach as an artist through critical discourse sessions and collaborative making, I have been forced to look at how I respond to the work and ideas of other artists while staying authentic to myself.
In the paintings, I am using fewer variations of shape and working more intuitively throughout the process, which requires many layers of trust. Trust in my experience and education, trust in my decision making and the availability of skill when I need it, and trust in my ability to convey my intention effectively.
Furthermore, the colour palette has been parred back to a simple Cerulean Blue and Permanent Rose combination that represents the masculine and feminine sides of my personality, both equally vivid and well balanced; forming various purples where these polarities become inseparable.
Thus, the most recent work in this series explores social stereotypes around gender norms and a progression towards the wider acceptance of fluidity.
Sometimes hidden by our backgrounds and sometimes in opposition with them, we must choose to find a sense of unfaltering conviction in our identities and stand with pride in our journey toward a more diverse yet unified society.