I created a small series of paintings influenced by the conflict in Ukraine. The subject holds personal significance to me as a grandchild of Ukrainian refugees, with family in Ukraine currently experiencing similar struggles to those during WW2.

Given the emotional nature of the topic, I initially hesitated to share this work. However, amid the growing concerns in the world, where numerous issues vie for our attention, my aim is to serve as a reminder that the people in Ukraine are enduring ongoing suffering and still require support.

The creative process was challenging, revealing the unsettling resemblance between war and a game for those who instigate it.

Consequently, the War in Ukraine series departs from my usual style, adopting a pop art influence from 80s and 90s video games to convey and process this profound subject.

I chose this approach because, to decision-makers, war often seems like a game, and the parallels between the mechanics of warfare and video games are striking. The stylised depiction also explores the naive nature of war, drawing inspiration from Futurism and Constructivism from earlier wartime periods.

The Shattered Wing Mirror series was inspired by a broken wing mirror I found on the street outside my London studio in early 2020.

What interested me about the mirror was its contradiction. It is designed to protect and extend a driver’s vision, yet it is exposed and vulnerable in its position on a vehicle and can easily be broken, as this one had been. Aesthetically, it is sleek and reflective, with soft curves that capture fleeting views of urban life and moments of the surrounding landscape. At the same time, it is purely functional and a legal requirement on every vehicle.

My initial response was to experiment directly with the object, temporarily transforming it into a necklace using electrical tape and black wire.

The series began with photography and later included painting and printmaking.

Through the fractured surface of the mirror, the work became a way of observing the world during and immediately after the pandemic. As life began to resume, familiar scenes appeared altered or fragmented. The distorted reflections suggest a sense of nostalgia for a recent past, a time before masks, distance, and the unease of physical proximity.

‘Carnival Prizes’ was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (22nd September 2021 – 2nd January 2022), and is the first of six oil paintings in the Carnival series. 

The Carnival series was inspired by my sketchbook drawings over the summer of 2020. After coming out of lockdown, I began meeting friends at the park, and fun fairs were the first signs of life to me. They symbolised festivities, social engagement, and entertainment, and evoked nostalgia and a sense of lost youth. It also made me think about the excitement that pulls you into a fun fair vs the reality of what it offers. The naïve wonder of a fun fair viewed through the eyes of a child, and how it appears shiny and new, differs vastly from the reality it represents. Looking at it now through adult eyes, the flaws are visible, and the polish has gone. I wanted to explore the reality vs the perception of this iconic pastime.