Artist statement
In my work, I want women, and their experiences, to feel seen. I use visual metaphors to convey a variety of experiences that are unique to women. In my oil paintings, I explore the intricate relationship between women and flowers, challenging traditional narratives and portraying the flower as a symbol of liberation. I examine how women have often been confined to having their worth evaluated on their beauty and fertility, acknowledging their historical objectification. My work investigates feminist symbolism, and it echoes Georgia O'Keeffe's exploration of flowers and female anatomy, inviting viewers to confront the details of unfurling petals and reproductive systems. I see the flower as both a metaphor for women, but also as a mask. The flower is the outer mask that women wear to thrive and survive within society. Building on the 17th and 18th-century tradition of botanical illustration by women— one of the first ways women accessed the sciences—I draw inspiration from artists like Maria Sibylla Merian and Elizabeth Blackwell.
I am inspired by abstract pioneers such as Joan Mitchell, Zao Wu-Ki and Hilma Af Klint - yet I also draw influence from impressionist painters such as Berthe Morisot - as well as painters who walk the line between abstract and figurative work, such as Georgia O'Keefe.
Artist biography
I have been painting since graduating from Central St Martins in 2012 in Graphic Design. This background in design has had a particular influence on how I compose and frame my paintings. For me (alongside the conceptual ideas behind the piece) the composition, before I even make a mark on the wood panel, is the most important and considered part of the process. My work is informed by a strong passion for colour theory and the play of light on a subject. I find it essential to my process to map out tonal values before beginning the painting. I work in the alla prima wet-on-wet technique to create a liveliness within my paintings.
I was born and raised in London, and I now reside and work in Bristol. My work is regularly exhibited in the North Street Gallery in Bristol.