‘Memories’ are a series of 14 paintings representative of many of our lives in early 2020. Painted initially as a follow-up to ‘Transitions’,  these works built upon themes of travel, displacement, transport and statelessness, as well as the flux and transitions that are part of life as a whole.

As the pandemic started to spread across the world, becoming global in nature, ‘Memories’ began. At that particular time, I needed to stop. I was tired of the constant movement, of change, transitioning - of always having to find my way. For that reason, I loved being in lockdown. A place of familiarity from which I could work. I felt protected by the safety of my home - a sanctuary from the frenetic world that had now seemingly been forced to still. A collective quiet had descended across the globe. A universal experience that left no-one out. But while I stayed physically in one place, my mind continued to move. It didn’t stop changing. So, I carried on painting.

But the process of making these paintings felt stilted; echoing the trepidation and uncertainty that faced us all. As we went into lockdown, my method of painting took on a frenzied nature, as I grabbed at and tried to hold onto the normality from my previous life. There was an urgency to retain. To record life as we had known it. Whilst simultaneously attempting to ‘make the best’ of this temporary time, of being at home. 

The pairing of paintings felt crucial. The compliment of one to another. The confusion of one life to another. The transition and memory of working across one painting to another. My head hadn’t caught up with either its intention for these works, or the meaning of the pandemic for humanity. 

On reflection, ‘Memories’ are paintings that reflect the Earth’s awakening, as post-pandemic; nothing is the same anymore. Interestingly, as I look back at this time, I have little recollection of this period, or of painting this series. An amnesia of sorts. I have also not created a collection of work since this point. It feels as though my feet need to return to something solid. To be able to re-root, re-access and then re-start again.