Artist Statement and Bio

My ideas take varying shapes and forms, in installations, performances, paintings and sculptures. While I like experimenting with different mediums, the underlying constant themes in my work are identity, beauty, vulnerability, vitality, fear, regeneration and hope.  i create work that connects communities and bridges the world.

 

The up-cycled materials I work with lose their original identity and evolve in the course of making and display. What emerges is a subtle yet visible conceptual and material change, created by interaction with its surroundings and its audiences. This ongoing transformation is the outcome I aim for. 

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I have had some personal reconfiguration too. I drew and painted ever since I was a child. But only recently I summoned up the courage to do a master’s degree in Art and Science from Central Saint Martins at the age of 70.  I was over the moon to obtain a Distinction.

 

The public’s interaction with the nets reaffirms my belief in the transformative power of art.  People of all ages and backgrounds respond to the joyous colours, transparency, movement, liveliness, and layers of meaning embedded in the net sculptures. It was particularly beneficial for stroke patients whose communication is impaired by Aphasia.  The nets released words trapped in the brain and there were several magical moments when memories were triggered and self-expression enabled through writing, drawing, speaking or gestures. 

 

The experience of creating the net installations and their enthusiastic reception encouraged me to work closely with communities in connecting art with the well-being of individuals and with the well-being of our planet. There are two words that sum up my practice: 

Earth and Heart. 

 

​Born in Lincoln I have lived, worked and travelled across continents. I have experienced the wonder of Amazonian rainforests and sunrises in the Himalayan peaks. There have been some adventures in my personal life too. 

 

Having married young and subsequently divorced with two children, I put my artistic aspirations on the back-burner for a regular income. My career led me to delivering management training and coaching across industries and countries.  I combined my day job with art and caring for my mother who had Dementia and lived with me.  My multi-faceted life experiences have informed who I am and deepened my resolve to inspire people to stop, look, reflect, connect, and energise each other.

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