Praca Dom Joao Collage

The latest series, I am working on, involves using recycled leather cut-offs from the shoe making industry here in Portugal. The range of colours and surface finishes available creates a unique palette to work from. Each individual piece is cut using a "cookie cutter" knife, made from a hand-drawn template. My work has always explored the different layers and patterns behind everyday reality. Everything is a construction of different parts and elements. The visual world has underlying structures and patterns that combine to give us our perceived reality. My art seeks to reflect the connections and layering. A lot of my work involves creating collage. The act of cutting through a sheet of material reveals a window into another layer below. My work tries to create a sense of surface pattern, letting the eye roam over the picture plane, as well as creating a sense of depth and of space receding behind the surface. Born in Swansea, Wales Living in Porto, Portugal