The core of my work is always an attempt to dismantle the perceptions of reality and explore the spectrum of non-binary gender identity. In this drawing, I combine real life proportions with a stylised drawing approach, exploring an intense, fleshy red colour palette and elements of the present-day. This allows me to transform the traditions of classical art present in my work into ambiguous narratives of modern life. Keeping naturalistic proportions and cinematographic compositions reminds the viewer of real life, yet the carefully chosen styling and colour creates a new world. The red-hued figures in my work present more as alien characters, rather than everyday humans you’d meet on the street – slightly too perfect, almost artificial, strangely unfamiliar. They have complete freedom of expression and the viewer may question whether they are seeing something that truly exists or a work of fiction. By giving my characters real-life names, I create a sense of intimacy between the character and the viewer – it’s an invitation to connect to the human inside the image and what their story could be.

My work is always produced using a single colour approach. The simplicity of this technique is an ode to the magnitude of a single colour, which also allows me to build up the contextual depth of the final image with focus and intention. This drawing has been created on paper, using a single-tone coloured pencil.