Meeting your idols (2020) – 42 cm x 29.7 cm – Alcohol markers and acrylic paints on card It was 2008, and I was enjoying a cheeky Nando’s on a Saturday afternoon with my girlfriend when I bumped into two of my comedy idols, Richard Ayoade and Chris Morris. As they entered the restaurant, I… Continue reading MEETING YOUR IDOLS
Category: 2020
SELFIE
Selfie (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Alcohol markers on white paper My darling wife Samantha, taken from a selfie she took this year. She looks beautiful and is expressing her love to me by sending this via a WhatsApp message.
BIOLOGICAL FATHER
Biological Father (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Alcohol markers on white paper I still don’t know the full story behind why my biological parents decided to entrust my care to my grandparents. They were both 19 when I was born prematurely, weighing under 3lbs. I can only imagine how challenging that must… Continue reading BIOLOGICAL FATHER
DEATHBED 1
Deathbed 1 (2020) – 29.7 cm x 42 cm – Brush pen and watercolour paints on card This piece expresses my frustration at being tethered to the overwhelming number of series produced in modern times. ‘Binge-watching’ on-demand programming has become the norm, but the trouble is that you become endlessly chained to every subsequent season… Continue reading DEATHBED 1
VOID
VOID (2020) – 43 cm x 61 cm – Alcohol markers on card Some of my art features a screaming figure, symbolising my frustrations with life and my desire to be heard. Having been a painfully shy child, I still carry significant remnants of this shyness into adulthood. The absence of eyes in the head… Continue reading VOID
BASQUIAT
Basquiat (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Alcohol markers on paper On the occasion of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 60th birthday on 22nd December 2020, I found myself browsing through photographs of him online. A captivating Polaroid picture of Basquiat in a shirt and tie caught my eye. Just a week earlier, I had interviewed… Continue reading BASQUIAT
OLEK
Olek (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Alcohol markers on paper Olek has had a profound influence on my career as an artist. When launching my podcast, I reached out to various artists at different stages of their careers for the first episode. Olek graciously accepted the invitation, and the connection we formed… Continue reading OLEK
WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY
WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY (2024) – 42 CM x 29.7 CM – ACRYLIC PAINT ON CAVAS BOARD The Karate Kid was also one of my all-time favourite childhood films. I related deeply to Daniel LaRusso as the underdog. Like Daniel, I took up karate as a child, and as an shy, overweight kid, I… Continue reading WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY
SCHWARZENEGGER
Schwarzenegger (2020) – 21 cm x 29.7 cm – Acrylic paints on white card The film, Commando, inspired this artwork. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a childhood idol of mine. Most probably because I was the opposite of him, as a fat shy child, I was attracted to his supreme confidence and muscular physique. In this piece,… Continue reading SCHWARZENEGGER
LICK FAT BOYS
LICK FAT BOYS (2020) – 21 CM X 29.7 CM – MIXED MEDIA ON CARD I created this piece whilst watching the Keith Haring documentary “Street Art Boy”. The phrase ‘Lick Fat Boys’ amongst other anagrams created, is part of the script for Haring’s 1980 film Lick Fat Boys. In the video, Keith reads various… Continue reading LICK FAT BOYS
AM REAL HUMAN
AM REAL HUMAN (2020) – 29.7 CM X 42 CM – ACRYLIC PAINT ON CAVAS BOARD Short Circuit is one of my all-time favourite childhood films, capturing my imagination with its excellent soundtrack, the captivating story of a sentient robot, and the awe-inspiring backdrop of New York City. Growing up in a small market town, I was… Continue reading AM REAL HUMAN
SUFFOCATED
Suffocated (2020) – 42 cm x 29.7 cm – Brush pens and collage on card This piece emerged from a well of personal frustrations, capturing the struggle between the burdens of expectations and the resilience of the human spirit. At its heart, the solitary flower stands as a powerful symbol of growth, renewal, and blossoming… Continue reading SUFFOCATED
GIVE THANKS
Give thanks (2020) – 61 cm x 43 cm – Acrylic paints on card (Donated to The Alan Koppel Gallery, Chicago – June 2020) Chicago was a city I thought I’d never visit, being from the UK: New York, LA, and San Francisco were more prominently featured in my awareness through films and Silicon Valley… Continue reading GIVE THANKS
KING OF HEARTS
King of Hearts (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Acrylic paints on white paper Tupac’s music profoundly influenced and inspired me as a teenager in the 90s. Growing up in a small town was worlds apart from Tupac’s life, but something about his words resonated with me. I must have sensed his sensitive… Continue reading KING OF HEARTS
ODE TO HARING
Ode to Haring (2020) – 21 cm x 29.7 cm – Acrylic paints and brush pens on card The work was created using brush pen and acrylics on what would have been Keith Haring’s 62nd birthday, 4th May 2020. What is strange about the above statement is that I had no idea it was his… Continue reading ODE TO HARING
FEAR
Fear (2020) – 50 cm x 50cm – Acrylic paints on canvas Inspired by the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic, “Psycho,” I aimed to recreate a simple black-and-white version with a contrasting red background, symbolizing danger, horror, fear, gore, and blood. I sought to capture the terror on her face, intending for… Continue reading FEAR
LIZZO
Lizzo (2020) – 21 cm x 29.7 cm – Acrylic paints on paper I admire Lizzo’s stance on body image, political issues, and various other causes. She effectively uses her platform for positive change. This piece is dedicated to her and the values she embodies. It is created in a simple black-and-white style with a… Continue reading LIZZO
DEAR DAD
DEAR DAD (2020) – 21 CM X 29.7 CM – ACRYLIC PAINTS ON PAPER A tribute to Kenneth Stanley Light (1939-2020), my father, who passed away on 03-04-2020. The source photo was taken around 15 years earlier when he was healthy, happy, and still working at his taxi company, Arrow Taxis. The photo was from… Continue reading DEAR DAD
SWEET MOMENT
SWEET MOMENT (2019) – 21 CM X 29.7 CM – ALCOHOL MARKERS ON PAPER This painting is a tribute to my late mum, capturing a quiet and cherished moment as she enjoys a slice of gypsy tart. I wanted to preserve her warm, gentle expression, with her short brown hair framing her face and those… Continue reading SWEET MOMENT