I am compelled to capture the portraits of people who desire transformation, I have been there too. I seek narratives of survival and resilience, exploring the stories of those who grow. I need to challenge perceptions about gender construction and performance. I am attracted to the vulnerability because I find a tender beauty there. A portrait should reach beyond the surface to be poignant.

My first body of work, You Brought Your own Light, is about the transgender and non binary community and my new work is about domestic violence. Each began as a personal project before engaging with the communities I represent.

My approach is research based and I prefer to immerse myself, and seek opportunities to work on extended projects from the inside of groups. The key is to listen and to earn trust. I work digitally or on film and invite participants to write their stories and collaborate upon how they are represented.

I won the BJP Portrait of Britain 2019, exhibited my first body of work and gained Arts Council funding to make a book. My current portrait work is also Arts Council funded and explores domestic violence for the national charity SafeLives where I am artist in residence 2021. I am drawn to those who build a new life and embrace change. I have faced this too.

I work commercially for companies including the NHS who feel art can provoke new thinking and engage people in a different conversation.