Cut from the same cloth

Have you ever noticed that friends and couples often dress alike? More than anything our intimate relationships shape who we are, and impact how we look. This series explores the link between fashion and identity. While it is well established that what we wear portrays a message about how we are, my work more specifically considers how what we wear tells a story about who we love. It is not uncommon for couples and close friends to look and dress alike. Like attracts like. Similarly twins and other siblings are often dressed the same by their parents or may do so of their own accord. Whether done consciously or subconsciously, it shows that our choices about what we wear are influenced by our significant relationships. It is in this manner that I explore identity.

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Not surprisingly the subjects of my paintings are mostly couples and siblings. Photos of family and friends form the basis for much of the work. The subjects mostly look alike and whilst they may not be dressed identically, their clothing is replaced by flat areas of matching pattern, irrevocably connecting them. 

I am also inspired by fashion photography especially when there is a decorative element. The inclusion of pattern in each composition is done through the use of patterned fabric. Remnants of printed cotton and linen fabrics are stretched over stretcher bars or stuck on traditional canvas. The use of fabric in this way provides an additional link with fashion as the material used to create fashion in life is the same material used to represent fashion in my work.