Tell us a bit about who you are and what kind of creative work you make
I am an abstract figurative painter and sculptor. For the past decade my focus has been on Chinese contemporary art which, prior to COVID-19, had entailed spending a lot of time at my studio in Beijing. I have travelled extensively studying art forms in Africa and Papua New Guinea and contemporary art in Europe, America, and China.
Five separate bodies of work are shown in detail on my website:
CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION – a body of work exploring geometric compositions of the human and equestrian forms.
ALTERED STATES – my current figurative work created in a minimalist, geometric abstraction style that continues to develop today.
SAPPHIC FANTASIES – a series of paintings created to celebrate lesbian love.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – in this series girls with dragon tattoos are depicted in various degrees of abstraction.
CHINA ILLUMINATED – This body of work gives the artist's perspective on modern day China. Each work includes poetry written by me and depicted in calligraphy very much in keeping with traditional Chinese painting.
How does your personal history, culture or experience inform your creative work?
I believe my time overseas and experience of different cultures gives me a unique perspective on creating new ways to see the world.
For example, while attending art college in Barcelona, Spain my work evolved from realism to becoming increasingly more abstract. At that time my work drew the inevitable comparison with Pablo Picasso and, being a young artist, I was keen to assert my individuality and so I left behind my love of the human figure and developed new creative directions, including action painting.
I then went on to become a pioneer in the genre of pop art along with Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.
What is a creative project that you've worked on that you're really proud of? Why?
The body of work entitled 'China Illuminated' is a good example of my perspective on China today and is part of a cross-cultural exchange that is ongoing for me.
This project was given an award by the Australian Government at the inaugural Arts in Asia awards ceremony.
What creative project are you working on at the moment?
My current figurative work is becoming increasingly minimalist and is designed to encourage the viewer to put their own interpretation on the work and engage with the work making it interactive.
What has been the highlight of your creative career so far?
I won a national art competition when I was 8 years old.
The best is yet to come.
What's your favourite part of working as an artist / creative?
The freedom to express original ideas without outside influence.
Do you have any top tips for emerging artists and creatives just starting out?
Do what you believe in and ignore negative comments.
Make creating original artwork a lifetime habit.
