top of page

Curatorial statement

My body of work depicts nature’s interaction with civilization and the interplay of these movements. The art conveys a sense of structure which engulfs the natural world — bringing attention to the viewers about the current trajectory of nature being defeated by the growing human presence. In my work you will observe several different key themes: work depicting animals, work depicting large bulky man-made objects, and lastly work that attempts to provide an insight into how it would feel if the issue were to be reversed. This exhibition includes sculptures made of concrete, copper and plaster, as well as oil paintings and pen drawings. 

This exhibition strives to drive people to be more aware of their impact on the world which we all share, and strive to live a more harmonious life with nature. In order to spark this sentiment, I use a large variety of different mediums and styles of work. This variety helps to bring forward the issue that humans clashing with nature is not just a singular issue, but an issue that is present throughout the world in different forms.


My two geometric copper sculptures ‘One Right 1’ and ‘One Right 2’, as well as my concrete sculpture ‘Emergence’, all represent the creations that humans have imposed on this world. Many of the materials used are scarce - or in the case of concrete, heavily polluting - in order to advocate the immense environmental destruction and damage that occurs in order to merely create simplistic architectural designs. The oil paintings, ‘Untitled 1’ and ‘Untitled 2’, depict large wall-like structures of buildings, Inspired by Piet Mondrian, with natural brown and yellow earthy shades. By juxtaposing the man-made object with the natural tones, a light is shone on to the perverse nature of humans destroying their home - Earth  - to create a new home. In the center of ‘Untitled 1’, an old and frail tree can be seen close to death due to the large uninhabited man made objects surrounding it - strangling it. 


The next collection of artwork is inspired from my visit to Tanzania where the interaction between the two forces of man and nature became evident. ‘The New York Old’ and ‘Silver Back Gorilla’ were made in response to my trip, clearly showing Man’s touch on the world, with a clever and deliberate play on words complimenting my message. The work depicts how animals are trapped by human presence and unable to escape Man’s engulfing touch. ‘Skinned Cat’ (oil on leather) brings forward the sickening abuse of our power as humans over animals.


Whilst pondering upon my theme, I started to reflect on the start of early civilization. Boats were amongst the first of significant human inventions, tracing back to early Egyptian civilizations. ‘Copper Sail’ depicts the boat as a symbol for mass human development following its invention, juxtaposed by the use of modern materials to depict our current situation. Lastly, my exhibition features the triptych ‘Untitled 5’, a piece depicting different women being suffocated by plastic. This piece places us in the position of our Earth and gives us a sense of how we are treating our home. The piece is complemented by ‘Untitled 6’ which further carries this idea through a different style and medium, but with the same underlying message.


The art is spaciously exhibited so each powerful meaning and message can be appreciated without the distraction of other pieces. The distribution of the sculptures throughout the floor space in the gallery allows them to be admired from all angles, all of which provide different appearance and aesthetic, and in turn a different experience. The placement of “death by plastic” - in a corner and within close proximity to each other - evokes a sense of discomfort with the art, thus adding to my motif. The otherwise spacious distribution of the work allows the audience to be immersed by the art, giving the audience the idea that this is an issue which surrounds us. The work is displayed in order to compliment each other, and this distribution aims to create yet another sense of man-made structure. The goal of this exhibition is to raise an immediate concern over the impact that we have on our world. 

COPPER SAIL IN PROGRESS

Copper on wood

Size: 75x38x55cm

The contemporary geometric composition: “Copper Sail” symbolizes mass human development that followed the invention of maritime technology. The juxtaposition of the modern materials with the ancient structure permit the audience to ponder about technological development and its consequences on our environment. 

Bellow as series of photos show some of the steps involved in the creation.

bottom of page