Printmaking

The prints from the 'The Thing Inside of Me' series is an attempt to visualise the internal struggles of body image and body dis morphia through decay of of internalised identity.

The prints from the 'Kala Kela' series, a body of work exploring the western fetishisation of African Woman and post-colonial views of cultural patterns.

​A short, sweet and quiet reflection of still moments observed whilst walking during physical and mental isolation. Moments like these build and become somewhat overwhelming with time - only to dissipate as all great things must. 

These dreamlike interpretations of flowers are the manifestation of lucid dreaming. The subconscious holds information about our visual encounters throughout our day, anything ‘useful’ is then brought to the forefront of our thoughts and is held in the conscious mind. However the visual stimulus which does not hold any necessary purpose is left in the subconscious mind and rarely manifests itself. Lucid dreaming or ‘vivid’ dreams are often a way to visualise our unconscious thoughts for a small period of time. As nature is a vital part of my practice, I often spend time being serene amongst many natural elements, elements which resonate somewhere within me. For this series of Monotypes, the prints were created from depicting surreal natural compositions which were preconceived during the stage of sleep where the conscious mind is still awake and is left free to roam and play in the gardens of the subconscious.

Handsworth is an urban, inner city area of Birmingham. This developing area has a rich past, being a central part of the industrial revolution and having a post-World War II influx of West Indian and Afro-Caribbean communities. They were later joined by an influx of Sikhs from the Punjab region of India during the 1960s. The racial tension at this time continued to grow and erupted into a riot in 1981. Riots also occurred in 1985, 1991 and 2005, explained as "essentially an outburst of anger and resentment by young black people against the police”. (Lord Scarman, Senior English Judge, 1981) Despite the criminal climate, Handsworth celebrates the cultures of the immigrants who reside there. Festivals are held throughout the year to bring communities together and introduce neighbours to different customs from their respective heritages.

It is apparent through a walk in Handsworth that dilapidated buildings are either left desolate, or are layered upon with different cultures; Punjabi sweet shops, eastern European off-licences, Jamaican barbers, churches and temples. The streets are layered with the remnants of the conflict between crime and celebration. The prints in this series seek to piece together these remnants and evoke a ‘sense of place’. The three prints concern memory, place and story respectively; taking a look at what living in Handsworth entails, concerning the criminal climate, diverse history of individuals and layers of culture, of which I recognise some as my own.

Memory, place and loss; reflected through a walk in Meanwood ridge

Meanwood Ridge is natural stretch of land in Leeds which sits amid industrial buildings in a dense city. The long walk gives view to British countryside, oak trees, foliage, rivulets and British fauna. It is at places like these where one often comes to escape and reflect. One’s memories of ‘place’ shape the view and association related to the objects related to an area. This body of work looks at a walk through Meanwood ridge, and how loss is reflected through the foliage, along with the remnants of human activity which are often left and forgotten.

Ian Biggs’ Deep mapping as a practice is a conscious movement through landscape, with an awareness of place, time and environment. Deep mapping is involved in this walk, where the remnants of the journey in forms of drawings, found objects, pictures and even conversations are used to convey ‘place’. Using pigments made from berries and drawing utensils in the form of sticks, rocks and leaves: place and material as bound as one. Inspiration for the mark making comes from Juan Miro’s process of ‘automated drawing’, along with his abstract expressionist prints.

Freud's theory of deferred action states: “memory is reprinted, so to speak, in accordance with later experience”. Conceptually, the drawings and prints are concerned with memories of loss projected through the surroundings while in the act of walking. A cluster of overlapped posters found on the walk serve as Chine-collé, as both a reminder of place and the ‘forgotten’. Compositionally, they serve to assimilate or clash with the natural forms, as posters often due in rural walks.

This series was inspired by my travels around the outskirts of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. Whilst camping in nature and spending time absorbing new ecosystems, complex landscapes and an abundance of natural beauty, I found a sense of Joy. Flor y Alegria (Flower and Joy) is an expression of inner joy through the form of flora and natural elements. 

A highly experimental print series using mainly natural elements. Flowers, petals, stems, berries, sticks and leaves were the core inspiration for the compositions.

Taking inspiration from 80's neon colour pallets combined with Chiaroscuro painting, this series was accompanied by poetry concerning existential exploration. 

The horse I ride is worn and tired

And treads slowly a path undesired

On a frozen lake of hope and despair

Which runs the line of true and fair

The thoughts of time once passed are lost

Beyond the depths of winters frost

For the snowy trails I’ve walked are covered

With the promise of new paths to be discovered

A series is inspired by mark making and its relation to the physical form.

This series of illustrative prints were part of a a story book: The Fox in the Night.

One-off prints not belonging to any particular series.