“ After months in lockdown I was incredibly lucky to get to Kenya for a long-planned trip over the winter. I have travelled extensively with my work, but have never been quite so moved to paint as I was during and after this trip.

Throughout the first lockdown I painted furiously, but gradually the inspiration faded along with any sense of urgency or pressure. Suddenly I had just two weeks in Kenya and had to paint everything I possibly could. The days raced past and I am left with a slideshow of memories from my time in Lamu, Borana and Samburu, which I can share with you through an eclectic collection of paintings. One minute a flurry of dhows sets out from Shela village, the next a vast expanse of hot red earth takes over, then fading pink mountains, decaying sea-worn walls, and back to a lush green view of Pride Rock and beyond. I saw some wonderful animals and wildlife, but these don’t feature in either my paintings or principal memories of the country. It was the space, the light, the feeling of being somewhere so far from home, which I felt compelled to capture and share.

I returned to England to quarantine during the worst lockdown, and in those first weeks of the year my studio remained in sub-zero temperatures with very little natural light. And yet I can only conclude this had an unexpectedly positive impact on my work. I surrounded myself with my largest paintings to date, perhaps trying to prove to myself that I hadn’t just woken up from a dream. I am so pleased to be able to share them with you in this exhibition. ”