I am a visual artist working in a number of media, from drawing and printmaking to sculpture, installation and large-scale murals. I like to combine a number of disciplines within a single body of work. My work is predominantly figurative although recently I have been exploring more abstract elements in my work.
My work deals with a number of recurring themes such as the nature of evil, childhood, fairytales, mythology and folklore, dreams and nightmares, innocence and violence. I use a child-like style to depict images of brutality, as a way to illustrate my understanding of the human condition. My work also has a whimsical quality that offsets the disturbing or melancholy mood of the images. It is often suggestive of a narrative, though I leave it open-ended for the viewers to find their own interpretations.
When I begin a body of work, I sometimes start with a particular topic in mind, usually that I have read about in a book or magazine, but soon free associations take over, as well as the formal properties of the work, and the images develop organically. Very often my starting inspiration comes from song lyrics, or a phrase in a novel or poem. Making art is primarily an intuitive process for me, though it is informed by intellectual or philosophical concerns. What I hope to achieve is to create a space of wonder in which the viewer can find personal meaning.
