I came to London in September 2002, to study Graphic Design at the University of the Arts London: Camberwell College of Arts. For the first time, I had found a home & reached a point in my life where I was truly happy, free from a life dictated by Panic Attacks, bouts of Self-Harm & battles with Bulimia, but it wasn’t always that way....

I was born on 12th April 1980 at the West Cheshire Hospital, I lived in Connah’s Quay North Wales with my Parents & younger brother then in 1984 my Dad was offered & accepted a job transfer to Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, where I was to spend the next 19yrs of my life.

My parents’ decision to move, although they had no way of knowing it, had a profound effect on my life. For many years to come I would cling desperately to the hope that one day we'd return to the place I considered to be my home.

Drawing for me was a form of attention seeking to begin with; I started when I was 6yrs old. The more I did it however, the more I really enjoyed it. I developed an obsession with detail & aesthetic, no matter what it was & at this point I made a very conscious decision to hone my memory, an ability that has remained with me.

I’m a very observant person something which manifested from being so introverted & having a desperate need to remember & remind myself of the people & places I missed.

I grew up a very sensitive kid, extremely withdrawn. I hated school, although admittedly it wasn't all bad. I had very few friends, choosing not to allow myself to get close to anyone, just in case my parents did decide to move again & the older I got, I became more introverted my confidence & self-esteem became none existent.

As well as drawing I have a real passion for films, which continue to influence & inspire me. Whereas films have fed my imagination, music on the other hand became something, which like for so many people, became a way of remembering so many different & varied experiences. More often than not I will make references to both Films & Music in my work.

I was 14yrs old when I first tried to take my life when, at the age of 17; I was dealing with a multitude of issues, which started to manifest themselves. Fear, paranoia & anxieties became the norm, I began self-harming about the same time I became bulimic. Panic attacks now dictated my life & I isolated myself from everyone.

The next few yrs became dark & intense, by the time I was 19 I was at very low point, but I kept myself going, it wasn’t easy there were many setbacks & diversions. Eventually I got myself to a point where it was literally now or never, I enrolled in an Art Foundation Course & I was absolutely determined that I was going to do it, & nothing was going to deter me, especially not myself.

It was to be one of the most fulfilling & rewarding decisions I’ve ever made, & as the course came to an end I had no idea what I was going to do, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. I was happy & content; my life had turned a corner. There were still serious issues that I was dealing with. But it was to be my final written & self-directed project that would go on to change my life in a way I could never have dreamt about.

When my tutor recommended me to a colleague at the University of the Arts London: Camberwell, I was given an interview, the whole experience was a complete blur. I thought I handled the situation badly, I’d never had an interview & there had been no time to prepare. But, less than a week later I was accepted onto the course & within in a month I moved to London.

For the first time in my life I stopped living in the past, consciously doing all that I could to live for the here & now.

Although it was not without its rewards, creatively I didn’t get from the course what I had initially anticipated. It was the experiences outside of college that changed & moulded me for the better. Still to this day, being here in London has the power to take my breath away. That isn’t to say all my issues have completely evaporated, but for the first time in my life, I’ve found a place I consider to be my home & I’ve had some uplifting, positive & memorable experiences that have helped to balance out the negative.

I’m now 28yrs old; my outlook on life is unrecognizable to the one that I had grown up with. As I continue in my own direction, my perspectives on people & the choices they made have changed & continue to do so. I’m not without my flaws or struggles, drawing remains my biggest passion & I’m still learning.