I’m a young female photographer based in Leeds/Manchester. I’ve started photography recently as a creative outlet, and have really found a love for it. I’ve found myself wanting to focus on representing everyday people with a more “old school” touch, hence my first work with ‘The Burley Girls’. This choice of style has come from influences like Tish Murtha and Rob Bremner who I have looked up to for a very long time. As I move forward I hope to capture the essence of everyday people through the pandemic, and tell their stories through my photography.

During my Pre-U Fine Art studies, I focused on human form and the process of ageing. My volunteer work in a care home provided me with great inspiration and my style varies from intricate realism to more abstract. I primarily work in oil paint. My portrait of an elderly lady, Jill, was awarded Third Prize in the Durham University Student Art Prize.

I have always liked portraiture and during lockdown, I took part in Tom Croft’s ‘Portraits for NHS Heroes’ initiative. Under this scheme, artists reach out to individual key workers and paint their portraits, sending it to them afterwards to thank them for their hard work in the fight against the pandemic. In total I painted five portraits of NHS staff, both male and female, some in full PPE kit and others in more casual attire. I enjoyed each portrait as I loved reflecting their personality and values in their portrait and learning about their experiences during the pandemic. This gave me a sense of connectedness during a time when we were all feeling isolated.