I created a small series of paintings influenced by the conflict in Ukraine. The subject holds personal significance to me as a grandchild of Ukrainian refugees, with family in Ukraine currently experiencing similar struggles to those during WW2.

Given the emotional nature of the topic, I initially hesitated to share this work. However, amid the growing concerns in the world, where numerous issues vie for our attention, my aim is to serve as a reminder that the people in Ukraine are enduring ongoing suffering and still require support.

The creative process was challenging, revealing the unsettling resemblance between war and a game for those who instigate it.

Consequently, the series departs from my usual style, adopting a pop art influence from 80s and 90s video games to convey and process this profound subject.

I chose this approach because, to decision-makers, war often seems like a game, and the parallels between the mechanics of warfare and video games are striking. The stylised depiction also explores the naive nature of war, drawing inspiration from Futurism and Constructivism from earlier wartime periods.

The Shattered Wing Mirror series was inspired by a shattered wing mirror I found on the street outside my London studio before the pandemic.

What interested me in the mirror was its contradictory elements. It’s there to protect and is strong, however it is vulnerable in its position on a vehicle and can be fairly easily broken, as this one had. Aesthetically, it is shiny, has soft curves and displays exciting views of fast-moving urban life and serene nature, yet it’s functional and utilitarian and a legal requirement to have one on every vehicle. 

Initially I began experimenting with the object and made it into a necklace with some electrical tape and black wire.   

The series began with photographs and evolved to include painting and printmaking.

Looking back at this body of work I can see that I was using the shattered wing mirror to capture the world during and immediately after the pandemic. Life was starting to resume back to normal, but everything appeared to have changed or was fragmented in some way. The distorted reflection was an unachievable glimpse of nostalgia before the pandemic when we felt freer and were not behind a mask and afraid of being close to each other.

‘Carnival Prizes’, was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (22nd September 2021 – 2nd January 2022), and is the first of six oil paintings in the ‘Carnival Series’. 

The ‘Carnival Series’ was inspired by my sketchbook drawings over the summer of 2020. After coming out of lockdown I began meeting friends outside at the park and fun fairs represented the first sign of life to me. They symbolised festivities, social engagement and entertainment, and evoked the feeling of nostalgia and lost youth. It also made me think about the excitement that pulls you into a fun fair vs the reality of what it offers. The naïve wonder of a fun fair viewed through the eyes of a child, and how it appears shiny and new differs vastly from the reality it represents. Looking at it now through adult eyes the flaws are visible, and the polish has gone. I wanted to explore the reality vs the perception of this iconic pastime.