SELECTED WORK
West Dean Summer Show 2026. (MFA Fine Art)
My work for the West Dean Summer Show conjures the eerie with large monochrome charcoal drawings on handmade Khadi paper. Presenting nature in black and white suggests a crisis within the landscape, creating an atmosphere to unsettle and disquiet. I touch on the thresholds between the seen and half-seen, with glimpses that create both intimacy and unease; closeness and threat. I project the current anxieties that revolve around the consequences of human power over nature, such as the climate crisis and war, and am mindful of how idyllic pastoral landscapes hide dark histories.
My process involves mark-making in willow and compressed charcoal, shading, blending either by hand or cotton pads, then carving out the light areas with eraser. The roughness of the handmade paper grips the charcoal for intense darkness and the robust surface allows gestural adding and taking away of marks.
I also include smaller works on birch board in charcoal and acrylic paint which adds texture and movement to the surface of the wood, increasing the contrast and tension.
Inspired by post work artists such as Paul Nash and John Piper and the paintings of John Virtue I explore the expressive and atmospheric possibilities of charcoal, inspired by my experience of being in the landscape.
