I have always been fascinated by textiles as they provide a versatile medium through which I can create realistic portraits. I love the colour and texture of textiles and the endless possibilities for manipulation which they offer. 

My work focuses on both issues that face women, and on the issue of poverty. Artists such as Kathe Kollitz have influenced my work. However, other technical influences go back earlier, and include Jacobean crewel work and figurative embroidery from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly the work of Mary Linwood.

My work aims to be a visual narrative, which is intended to convey a certain emotion and which focuses on subjects carrying a specific message and meaning. My interest in Asia – its colourful splendour as well as its sometimes difficult social predicaments, provides a backdrop in which to demonstrate and display the core messages of my work. My subjects are taken from photographic portraits, which are either images given to me by a professional photographer, or images I have personally photographed. 

In my art, I set out to combine my passion for textiles with my desire to create realistic images. My intention is create portraits which, although using fabric, give the impression of paint. I take inspiration from the colour and vibrancy of the subjects of my work, as these convey a sense of hope – for betterment and meaning even in the face of adversity. My work is always permeated by a sense of form and colour which I have developed, not only, over the course of my artistic career but also through my upbringing in Malaysia.

Before I embarked on a career in art, I was a trained nurse for 25 years. I worked in psychiatry for a large part of that time, however I eventually left nursing in order to have and bring up my son. My mother was a great embroiderer and taught me how to stitch at a very young age. I often think that I must have inherited my passion for textiles from her. I eventually returned to education, and I completed a degree in Applied Arts from the University of Hertfordshire specializing in Textiles. In addition to producing art, I previously worked part-time in a secondary school as a textile technician, where I helped children to develop basic sewing skills. I have since retired from my work as a textile technician in order to spend more time on my work.

It has taken me several years to establish myself as a textile artist, and in those years I have tried to perfect my work and the techniques that I use. I currently exhibit my work both in the UK, and internationally in Europe and the United States of America. I am a member of PRISM, the Embroiderers' Guild and the Society of Designer Craftsmen and I exhibit regularly in annual society exhibitions.