“Treatments for cancer remain today what they were before molecular biology […] cut it out, burn it out, or poison it.”
- Richard Lewontin, New York Review of Books
Cut It, Burn It and Poison It is a spiral-bound publication that chronicles my journey from the diagnosis of cancer to remission. This 148x148mm, 44-page book, which I produced myself, is printed using a risograph. The story unfolds through a combination of written journal entries, illustrations, photographs, hospital letters, and scanned ephemera.
Mainstream media often oversimplifies and sensationalises the representation of young adult cancer. By sharing my experience, I aim to advocate for a more nuanced and truthful portrayal of illness, encouraging the audience to take control of their narratives.
This publication was sold at the Offprint Tate Modern in 2023.
Are you missing? Call Missing People helpline on 116 000 (9am - 11pm, 7 days a week)
Vanishing is an illustrated zine that tells the story of a family experiencing the disappearance of a child, highlighting the effects of inadequate cooperation from law enforcement and media on the family’s search efforts. This 130x180mm, 18-page zine is saddle-stitched and printed using an inkjet printer.
I was inspired to create this zine after seeing a heartfelt advert by Missing People UK at a bus stop. Many people around the world have felt the devastating impact of having a loved one go missing, yet there is undeniable bias in whose stories receive more coverage. Through this zine, I aim to shed light on these disparities and advocate for more equitable attention and support for all missing persons.
“For you, I’m ready to give anything ...”
We Are Not Ones Who Say Much is a documentary short film that delves into the trauma and emotional effects of cancer on interpersonal relationships, as experienced by my mum and me. The narrative unfolds through letters we wrote to each other, contrasted with Video8 footage from our first trip together post-cancer and archival photographs from the past.
Creating this film has opened a vulnerable and honest line of communication within my family, breaking through the cultural boundaries we were raised with. I hope that by watching my film, the audience will be inspired to begin their own paths of healing with their loved ones.
This film was nominated for the MullenLowe Nova award and screened at the Shoreditch Arts Club.
“While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”
- Jo Cox
At The Great Get Together Festival 2024, we executed the Community Grow pottery painting workshop, which promoted relaxation, creativity, and community engagement in East London. Participants created beautiful designs on pots and tiles that were donated and displayed in local green spaces. Guided ceramic tile painting sessions allowed attendees to express their interpretations of community and their connection to urban nature, forming a collective mosaic that celebrated local art. Between these sessions, large community pots were available for passersby to decorate freely, adding a spontaneous and playful element to the event.
As the art director, illustrator, and workshop facilitator, I directed the artistic vision, created illustrative guides, and led the workshops with our team. This project showcased the power of community art, bringing joy and a sense of connection to all participants. The finished pieces now serve as lasting symbols of community spirit and creativity, brightening public gardens and farms for years to come.
How can visual storytelling be used to promote ownership and reframe the narrative of young adult cancer?
Cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease that affects individuals and their families in countless ways. Having had the roller coaster ride that is cancer myself, my eyes have opened up to "the kingdom of the sick, (Sontag, 1978)" which I did not know I held citizenship for. After my diagnosis, I found myself utterly lost and overwhelmed by fear when I learned that reality does not imitate the traditional cancer narratives from popular media that are often shown on screen.
Through this critical report, Autonomy Of Anatomy, I deconstructed the experience of having cancer as a young adult and explored how my creative practice could be used to promote ownership of one's own story and reframe the narratives surrounding it. My ultimate goal is to advocate for the importance of sharing authentic and nuanced stories and the benefits of doing so for the individual and the culture at large, through my personal lived experience.
ill
- It Will All Be Fine - Secret Cinema
- Atticus Vol.28 - WPP
A selection of one-off illustrations created for various special projects. Each piece captures distinct themes and moments, using a diverse range of styles.
Stay tuned for more additions to this growing collection.
1. For WPP, I created the cover illustration and developed social motion assets for Volume 28 of their annual Atticus Journal, centered around the theme “Humans and Machines.” My intention was to depict how machinery surrounds us in our everyday lives and highlight its beneficial role.
2. IT WILL BE FINE is a commissioned illustration for a senior producer at Secret Cinema, prominently displayed at their farewell party for signatures. Within a tight timeframe of just 3 days, I crafted the heartfelt illustration, capturing cherished memories of the shows they have worked on.
“I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering, and that I was human after all.”
― Jacqueline Harpman, I Who Have Never Known Men
A brand new ongoing project which focuses on creating a collection of book jacket and cover designs dedicated to my favorite female authors. The goal is to celebrate their literary contributions through visually captivating and bold design work that reflects the essence of the stories and captures the feelings the books gives me.
“Every act of imagination points implicitly to the dream… the dream is the first condition of its possibility. No artists, perhaps, without dreamers.”
- Michel Foucault
One third of our lives are spent sleeping and it is estimated that an average human spends 50,000 hours in total dreaming. Yet even in the 21st century, the dream remains a wandering spirit on the path of our imaginations. The psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung believed that dreams were messages from the unconscious to the individual. Therefore by studying them, we could draw attention to any potential imbalance and find true harmony of the psyche.
Into The Reverie is a series of illustrations, cards and a zine, exploring how to decipher and interpret dreams in order to connect with one’s own unconscious self and acquire a more peaceful mind.
Walk Man is my contribution to the zine collection Human Being, created in collaboration with my peers from GCD CSM, exploring the concept of walking as a hobby, born from the desire for the outdoors and the warm sunshine whilst being locked up through the pandemic.
_______________________________________________
I took part in the creation of the first edition the Queer Saint Martins publication, created in collaboration with my peers from CSM. From across disciplines, students and staff took part in making this project, bridging topics and ideas which all represented our queer identities.
The publication was launched at Paris Ass Book Fair 2023 at Palais de Tokyo.