play with what's there (2025)

148 x 162 cm

flashe, acrylic, and aquarelle graphite on canvas

In every aspect of my life, I am interested in liberation – how can I show up and be completely open, fully present whilst actually co-creating anything coherent or congruent. To co-create freely has always been my core desire but it has felt like a lover who keeps appearing to sweep me off my feet then disappearing again without leaving me their number. Recently I heard a friend say “play with what's there” and this one simple sentence put order to this longing, and the chaos of my creative process.

play with what’s there feels like a sunrise, somewhere between a landscape and a dream. Coral pinks flare with flashes of light, orange, and greens suggesting ridge lines, volcanic terrain, a storm gathering in the distance. Forms emerge, creating creatures, fallen angels, faces and presences that surface and disappear; optical illusions revealed through observation and connection.

The work is built through layers of matte vinyl paint, graphite and lots of water, allowing depth and form to develop intuitively. The matte surface absorbs light so that depth emerges from within the painting itself. Although the moments depicting rupture suggest destruction, the overarching presence is of peace and wonder – a space where creation and destruction are not opposites, but part of the same cycle. This tension reflects the times we are living in: a time where many of us are living with fear and yet we are also created by love, love charged with innate and ever available potential for transformation.