I have an instinctive fascination for medical imagery, an inbuilt desire to observe and understand the shapes and forms of human anatomy and how they interact with each other.
As a child and beyond, I sketched from Da Vinci books and classical anatomy artworks for no other reason than enjoyment. Though what captivated my imagination within these artworks was the flayed figures, twisted and contorted, often with the eyes rolled up to the heavens as if pleading for swift and merciful culling. This agony and contortion transforms the natural, parasympathetic beauty of the human form to a sympathetic image, which equally disgusts and enthrals. It is this tragic drama that compels me to react in paint.
My research has led me to St. Bartholomew’s hospital where I have attended multiple cardiac surgeries, documenting my
experiences through photography and sound which later translates into painting.
Working primarily in oils, I paint based on my experiences in the operating theatre and for self expression. Often drawing comparisons of medical imagery with the essence of baroque painting. Paying attention to the materiality of the paint itself, using both expressive mark making and graphic detail I create bold, unsettling, though hopefully captivating images.
Art and medicine have long had an essential relationship,
furthering the understanding of anatomy and medical teachings throughout the ages. I now humbly contribute my own artistic addition to this historical practice.
I asked myself, why am I drawn to this topic? Why do I paint the way I do? It is for the same reason I enjoyed sketching anatomy and death as a child. Because to explore it, paint it and understand it, brings me an inner peace.