I grew up in a small beach town on the north coast of New South Wales. I was born with dislocated lenses which caused me to face discrimination from teachers because of my lack of sight. During my primary school years, I was frequently excluded from class and even told by some teachers that educating me was a waste of time as they believed I would never get a job.
When it was time for me to transition to high school, I decided to keep my lack of sight a secret. I would often sit in class, unable to see any notes on the board, and pretend to take notes by drawing instead. However, over time, I developed an incredible auditory memory and learned everything by committing my teachers’ lectures to memory.
At the age of 16, I underwent surgery which dramatically changed my sight. The new eyes opened up a whole new world of colors (in particular blue) which were previously hidden from me. With this new vision, I began to explore the more delicate and intricate aspects of nature, incorporating the colors and textures of the natural world into my work.
I continue to push the boundaries of my art by seeking to explore new perspectives of the world around me (and you!).
My art practice focuses on nature and sustainable art, drawing inspiration from the natural world around me. Like most young people, I’m deeply passionate about preserving our planet and celebrating the beauty of nature, and I aim to convey this message through my art. Bright colours are a key signature of my work, Blue, in particular, is a deeply special colour to me, so you’ll often find water, skies and shadows as subjects in my work.
I prefer to work with acrylics because I like to work quickly and build up multiple layers of paint in one sitting. My finger-painted works can often become quite sculptural with thick layers of paint and indented fingerprints. I did have to pick up a brush for my Heartwood series because I wanted to preserve the grain of the wood, but I normally prefer to work the paint with my hands.