My practice has been centred on fabric as both subject and metaphor. I’ve explored its ability to suggest presence, movement and material behaviour using a variety of materials. I’m interested in how fabric operates as a stand-in for the body. My study began because of my enjoyment in fixating on a singular subject matter, and studying it in detail. 

 

My oil paintings aim to reflect the fluid, uncontrolled nature of fabric. Using water-diluted oils, the paint was able to drip and move freely, which echoed the unpredictability of real folds. The thinness of the paint also allowed for transparent layering, which I felt paid homage to the delicacy of fabric itself. Inspired by Louise Giovanelli’s curtain paintings, I adopted a vibrant colour palette using warm tones of reds, oranges, and pinks to make the work appear more vivid. The process was intentionally instinctive, so that I could attempt to capture the organic way fabric forms itself. 

 

In contrast, my charcoal studies were more observational and precise. Taking influence from Dürer’s drapery studies, I used charcoal to explore light and shadow, as well as study how different fabrics behave. These drawings are more structural in tone, but continue the same investigation: how fabric can imply something hidden, and how it can hold shape of what once surrounded it.