Manimals Artist Statement
They often symbolise complex ideas, beliefs and attributes representing the interconnectedness of humans and nature, spiritual beliefs or societal roles. I deeply resonate with the way they represent strength and wisdom, and how they use them as a way to connect to the spirit world, and give embodied animal traits for guidance or power.
I grew up watching childen’s stories based on animal-human characters. These were amongst my favourites: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Winnie-the-Pooh and many of the Disney original animations. To me, I find they communicate core messages and values without us being overly identified with the characters, while still keeping it relatable.
I like bringing it into modern day times by doing my own versions of such characters in my life, being prominent people with different personalities and attributes. They depict the strength, wisdom and whimsical traits they hold. Each has their own unique qualities, bringing modern-day mythology to the people in my life, with them as the leading characters.