“My works are always exactly that, first a painting. It is important for me that my works are not restrained by judgment, but rather that there would be a tension between the (real or imagined) recognition of these figures and the way that they are painted. It is also important that the works are not seen as a political statement because I feel that, although art can and does form political commentary, art cannot be primarily political. It is restrained by its place in society. I read an article a short while ago highlighting that politics had all but disappeared from popular music, and songs relating to recent major historical events (9/11, natural disasters, Iraq war) are absent from record charts. I often get challenged regarding the use of political imagery in my work – it is definitely seen as somehow ‘uncool’. However, I would hate to see contemporary art go the same way as popular music and become entertainment only.”