Having lived in the Netherlands for the past four years before recently moving to London, I’ve become accustomed to seeing open and exposed window fronts everywhere. Whether they be a decorated store display, or an adorned aperture into someone's home, exposed windows are a prevalent feature of Dutch culture. The Dutch take pride in having nothing to hide and as such, there is quite the offering of casement curation when walking down the street.

Over the years, I’ve become more engaged with the what and the why of the items these windows display ... The myriad of flowers and various plants in oddly shaped vases and shiny pots, the assortments of waxy fruit in ceramic bowls, the flickering candles that spill quaint light on it all and the frames that hold the scenes themselves. Taken in totality, they range from the ornate and florid to the subdued or old and tattered.

This has gotten me into the habit of keeping my eyes peeled for the same in my new home, hence leading to the inspiration for Window Shopping, the recent collaboration I have made with The Dyás. When I’m out in the world and a color or a shape strikes me, I have developed a habit of documenting that image on my phone and returning to my workplace to draw from that inspiration quite literally. I trace, cut and collage derivatives of that source image with paper, scissors and glue.

Process, 2022

The result is a layered process that requires first the folding and positioning of rough shapes and then slowly building out an intricate composition with miniscule scraps of coloured paper stuck down meticulously. Being given the opportunity to collaborate with The Dyás has allowed me to push my work even further beyond that of the two-dimensional sphere. To see my work printed on clothing is something I could have never anticipated, so I am eternally grateful for this experience!

See the pieces we created here

Thank you Story Flow for creating the video!