My paintings follow a ‘system’ and a set of restraints that determine colour, composition and scale. Working from a colour-coded alphabet, the titles for each painting are extremely important as they are the starting point for making; from this point each piece follows a basic set of rules – working from left to right, top to bottom.

I explore the physicality of paint in line with my interest in dementia. Working in a repetitious manner, I create individual patterns and repeated geometric shapes which form a grid-like structure. The grids provide a level of control over the paint which is otherwise unrestricted.

The build-up of layers expresses the passing of time. As the paint gains depth and weight, gravity and a lack of control come into play, causing the paint to fall away, with cells merging into one another. In many ways the paintings relate to uncontrollable events that happen in life, and several pieces imply the notion of the mind – and life – falling apart.