JUNGLED SERIES

In Jungled I reminisce on the lazy, hazy memories of childhood. Over the past years these recollections have become the heartbeat of my creative journey. This series was born during a time when I felt trapped in the murky waters of artistic frustration. Nothing I made felt as vibrant or alive as my earliers works. I felt blocked, discouraged and resistant.

I once believed creativity should flow like clear blue waters, endlessly pristine and perfect, but I was wrong. In hindsight, I now see that those murky waters were an essential part of my creative exploration. I used to think creativity was a gift meant only for producing visual beauty and anything less meant I wasn’t worthy of being called an artist. But instead of succumbing to that doubt, I chose to embrace it.

I began experimenting with new materials, glossy paper and metallic paints gifted to me by my sister. I rode the wave of joy. The brush and paint danced across the paper, and that was the day the Jungled series was born. It began with two original pieces, which I later scanned and digitally manipulated to create six vivid works that revealed a wild, untamed beauty I hadn’t expected.

The colour palette was inspired by my favourite green vase, found during a thrift store adventure in search of my creative spark. That vase, later shattered during a quite reflective moment on a park bench with a spinach roll in hand. This became a symbol for my journey. The oranges came from the flowerpot that held my monstera, a reminder of the vibrant life I longed to recapture.

What began as digital art expanded into more. My first rug sample. Doodle-like patterns. Linework drawn from symbols I often scribbled in my journal like my own kind of secret Morse code.

Jungled tells the story of moving from stagnation to freedom. It reflects my personal journey through tangled emotions, artistic doubt and creative breakthroughs. Each piece; Jungle in My Mind, Hidden Shark Below, Let’s Leave the Cave, Mountain Hill, Childlike Clutter and Climb with Me, represents a chapter in that journey of personal growth.

As I stepped back, I noticed a character following me through each sequence. Sometimes climbing, sometimes hanging from what looks like a tree branch perhaps from a willow tree. To me this figure symbolises persistence. The quiet courage to keep going to embrace the chaos and to honour the humanity within the creative process.

I have since developed a few characters that live within the Jungled worlds which I call Imperfect Friends.

This is "JUNGLED".