Over the years my work has used the human as its main focal point, in reaction to various episodes and occurrences in my life; the figure has been used as a symbol to represent my own state of existence and the world in which we live.
Earlier works bearing single, solitary figures (1995) gradually developed into small groups of people (1996) and then larger groups and crowds pushing through a colourful urban environment (1997-2004).
Later works during this period are symbolic of rejoice, hope and recovery. These groups, or crowds as they became, are more of a representation of how I perceive the world, as opposed to earlier works which reflect how I perceived myself at the time.
Although the later works of this period have a somewhat impersonal quality that suggests little intimacy with the subject, they perhaps convey my sometimes cynical reflection of the world in which we live. However, I do also feel that they are a celebration of life among the masses.
Upon leaving London in 2004, I began to re-visit a deeply ingrained fascination with Asia, a continent I had first visited in 1992 at the age of 19.
Annual journeys took place to the countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and in more recent years, Myanmar (formerly Burma). The new work celebrates the people and places of these lands, finds opportunity in rich colours, Light and form, and a renewed interest in the mark making qualities of the brush.
I wish to sustain a sense of tradition in the work; one of the main practical concerns is to produce a rich surface texture that transcends a feeling of time and worth.
The resulting images take on a dreamy atmosphere somewhere between reality and the imaginary, giving the number of egos a sense of place and the viewer a moment to contemplate escape.
