RECOLLECTIONS

These paintings are a response to my family photo albums from the early 1900s showing glimpses of colonial life in Kashmir, Singapore and Shanghai. I am drawn to the patina of the images and feel as if I am travelling vicariously when looking at them. The apparent wildness of the children on their adventures in India, climbing trees or punting unsupervised, particularly appeals to me. There is a sense of nostalgia in the work, but it is not intended as a celebration of colonialism. There are jarring notes in the albums which highlight the disparity of experience between colonials and local people who are photographed in the albums. I mine these albums for small fragments or nuggets which I feel connected to.