Artist Statement

Curiosity is what keeps me painting, experimenting.

Trying to find that unattainable perfect painting.

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Throughout the years I always come back to the same themes: connection, longing, love, loss – be those for human touch and affection, or a return to nature.

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I approach these themes in what has been recently described as a new surrealistic style with the aim to bridge the gap between what is generally considered fantasy, and reality. Fantasy in the sense that I idealise this connection and longing. In my mind, it is perfect, without any discord, everyone is able to find that perfect match, that perfect place in which to belong. But we know that being human, there is always struggle, be it with mental health, not being able to understand what is expected and always trying to fit in without actually managing to fit in, or not feeling comfortable with oneself and others. Sometimes we change to fit in because the world never seems to adjust itself to our precise needs. We do it to connect, to find at least one person with whom we feel right, who accepts us as we are. How can you fit all of this into a two-dimensional painting? Stroke by stroke, piece by piece, different paintings become a small puzzle piece.

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As I paint each of these pieces, I also notice that I grow as an artist and develop new ideas. My artwork is in constant metamorphosis as it reflects this evolution. By simply living, learning, reading, and observing, my ideas also evolve. My viewpoint changes and I create another piece of the puzzle. Flowers and nature, however, remain ever present in my paintings as they are also always changing. They grow, bloom, die, but always come back in a never-ending cycle. They have gone though their own metamorphosis and have come back the same, but different. My art, in essence, remains the same, even if in appearance, it is not. It is how I try to make sense of how we connect with each other and nature.

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In my studio, you will find stacks of books. Reading is my main source of inspiration, but meeting someone new, who can tell me a story, can sometimes be that spark that lights up an entire new train of thought. Those sparks, though, are quite rare. Although I have experimented with several mediums, my favourite one is oils. I like their versatility, I like being able to sit and stare at an unfinished painting and know that when I add an additional stroke, the paint will still be responsive.

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In essence, there is no other thing I would rather be doing than staring at a blank canvas, and thinking of all the possibilities and the new life that I can breathe into it. To quote Dr Seuss:

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“Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!”