This painting, which I created some 15 years ago, marks the beginning of the recurring woman who now appears throughout my body of work. It began as my own artistic interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, gradually evolving beyond its inspiration into a distinct and original presence.

Mona Lisa — the mother of most of my face portraits.

I painted a rather macabre Mona Lisa some years ago, and some years later a beautiful version was born. I spent months creating a face I would later become almost obsessed with. She became mine, and features in my present works, and probably will continue to do so for the forthcoming years.

She has this untouchable, almost hauntingly beautiful and ‘other-worldly’ look about her. She sits in all the background spaces I create for her, untouched by chaos, and fits perfectly in urban contemporary graffiti just as she does in classic, harmonious backgrounds. Therein, one can appreciate both polarities and how she merges and fits into both, while still remaining the centre of attention, reminding us of balance and to take inspiration from both polarities.

Through that process, she became a figure entirely her own — a visual language through which I explore themes of grace, contemplation, compassion, hope and the sacred found within everyday life.

From this original painting, she has continued to evolve across my collections. Every subsequent work featuring her is an original composition built upon this foundation. Whether created with paint, collage, photography or contemporary digital tools, each piece begins in my mind’s eye before being carefully developed into its final form. Digital technology is simply one of the creative tools I use; the vision, symbolism, composition and artistic direction remain my own.

She has become the recognisable face of my work, while the crimson hibiscus has become my signature emblem. Together they create a visual thread that connects my collections, allowing each artwork to stand independently while belonging to a larger, evolving story.

This original painting is presented here as the source from which that continuing artistic journey began.