Super Climactic
- 2020\\21

My process for this piece was quite unique. I began working on it back in 2020, amidst the serene beauty of my garden/studio, yet concurrently also surrounded by profound external chaos owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear and uncertainty it brought, the racial crisis following the deaths of George Floyd and Simeon Francis, and the uproar that led to the beginnings of the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to the global lockdown and my own strong impetus to leave England, which emotionally weighed heavily upon me at that time. However, ironically, it was due to adverse weather conditions that I was forced to halt my progress on this piece, leading to an unintentional hiatus. In a rather fortuitous twist of fate, I accidentally left the canvas outside, exposed to the elements for a whole year, until 2021.

During its time outside, the canvas began to grow a coat of moss, which added a captivating dimension to the artwork. The moss brought a distinctive quality to the piece, something I couldn’t have achieved without nature’s intervention. When I returned to the work, I made a conscious effort to preserve those more organic parts, working around them while continuing to build on the existing depth and infuse more vibrancy and colour.

As I resumed, I also experimented with new modes and mediums, such as oil and acrylic paint thickener, marbling, layering paints, and using scraping tools. In addition, I utilised peels of layered paint from my palette to add further dimension and texture. These techniques were crucial in shaping the final outcome of the piece, allowing me to guide its direction.

The result is a fusion of my deliberate yet fluid techniques and nature's spontaneous touch—creating a vibrant, emotive piece that transcends conventional boundaries. In this harmonious blend of intention and chance, this piece aptly showcases the ongoing dialogue within my practice between creativity and happenstance.