Art Beyond Form: My Solo Show at Bannatyne - A Celebration of the Human Spirit

Ready for my talk!

I’m thrilled to reflect on my solo show at Bannatyne, which ran from 26 June to 9 September. It was an incredible opportunity to share my work as a Portsmouth-based artist, creating abstract sculptures, mixed media paintings, and prints. Assemblage is at the heart of my practice, a way for me to explore themes of the human spirit without relying on literal representation. Instead, I aim to capture aspects of the soul, the intangible qualities that exist independently of the body.

I’ve always felt a deep connection to colour, which I hope shines through in every piece. It’s more than just aesthetic; colour for me is an emotional language, a way of inviting viewers into an experience that transcends shape and form. The materials I use—cast concrete, paper pulp, silicon, plaster, and metal—each have their own histories, stories embedded in them, and I work to combine these found elements in a way that breathes new life into them.

There’s often a sense of play in my sculptures, a lightheartedness that balances with the delicate and sometimes fragile nature of the work itself. I aim to convey that tightrope we all walk, between sense and nonsense, between desire and fear. Many of my pieces are intentionally balanced on the edge of fragility, and I like that they carry a vulnerability, echoing the precariousness of our own emotional lives.

One of the highlights of the show was a talk and networking event, where I had the chance to connect with others and dive deeper into the ideas and processes behind my work. The response was more than I could have hoped for, and it’s already opened doors for new opportunities in 2025 to show and create more work.

Looking back, this exhibition was about more than just sharing my art. It was an invitation to explore beyond the boundaries of the physical, to connect with those hidden parts of ourselves. I hope that anyone who saw the show left with a piece of that experience—a reminder of art’s power to resonate with us in unexpected ways.