"Charcoal is a constant and important part of my artistry. I have always worked quite quickly, and I find that charcoal causes the images to appear on the paper or the canvas, rather than me deciding on the subject. The material collects itself in small piles or spreads out, and is difficult to control in a way, especially the large, porous crayons that break when you use them. It’s like dark, unmanageable clouds or shadows floating around and deciding for themselves where they will go. I’m probably not even trying to control them, but rubbing out in the dark instead. It’s like carrying a lantern down a deep well. With the rubbing out, narratives slowly emerge. Like shadow figures that come to life. At first it’s just formless darkness, and then they step out; the glimmer of light hits them, so shapes start to appear. A nose or a paw, maybe a tail. Someone or something stands and hesitates between making themselves visible and running back into the dark to hide again."