Mother of Pearl

Mother of Pearl is about the layers of memory we carry within us - some close to the surface, others buried much deeper. They come from experience, from instinct, from the people and places that shaped us, and perhaps from something even older that we cannot fully explain.

The figures held inside the body of the bull are like traces of those different layers. Some are clear, others almost disappear. They are still there, even when we are no longer consciously looking for them.

For me, there is strength in recognising that we do not begin from nothing. We carry roots, memories, tenderness, fear, knowledge - all of it becoming part of who we are.

And sometimes returning to yourself is not about becoming someone new. It is about finding your way back to what has been there all along.

The title Mother of Pearl came to me while I was working on the painting. I liked the idea of something precious forming quietly inside - protected by layers, hidden from view, yet growing there over time.