Biography/ Artist Statement:
Born in Birmingham in 1974, I have been living and working in Belfast since moving here at the age of
five graduating from the University of
Ulster, Belfast achieving a BA Honours Degree in Fine and Applied Art.
The combination of material process and exploration of the human condition provide the basis of my practice. By using the body as a representational metaphor I aim to express and communicate ideas which visually challenge the viewer.
My most recent series is specifically concerned with the play on identity. The images explore gender stereotypes with particular emphasis on the male figure. By resisting the traditional views of figuration and detaching the subject from the common perception there becomes a gender ambiguity and identity struggle which has become the basis of this work.
The use of odd composition and questionable image should evoke the viewer to decipher the narrative which underpins the work. The overall series aims to open a process of questioning surrounding gender stereotyping. The figures are confrontational and perhaps controversial, however the stance and gestures of the figures are intended to give chorus to a sensitive drama within the image, the subtle fleeting aspect of the human figure remain the technique of communicating to the viewer its various moods.
My future work will continue to focus on the human form, evolving from the IdentitySeries. By using the body as a tool of representation I will continue to investigate issues relevant to the human condition.
