London

London is the longest I have ever lived anywhere, and over the years I spent time from West London to East London, getting to know it well by the miles and miles I cycles on my trusted Brompton day in day out on my commute and for leisure. I loved knowing the quickest way to get places, the side streets and short cuts. I find it fascinating imagining the millions of lives being lived side by side, sometime overlapping, others existing in totally different worlds only meters apart from each other.

One of my projects was the Urban Artventuring project I set up in 2016, where I invited 10 people to tell me a story about a place in London that had a strong personal meaning to them. I would do a drawing of that location with their story in mind, what was special to them, what landmarks stood out for them.

The other London project which is very close to my heart is the London Swimming series that I did in 2016. Swimming outdoors is a really important part of my toolkit to manage mental health and this series depicts some of my favourite and most regular spots to swim in London with The ladies Pond on Hampstead heath being my all time favourite. It is a truly magical spot, this is where I have taught solace, weeped, laughed and dances with my best friends and my sister. I have dropped stones into the deep dark water after sessions with my healer. I have been reborn there under the tree that glitters when the sun shines like a beautiful natural disco ball.