“I’m interested in traditional Islamic art that entwines geometric patterns with floral motifs; the modern interpretation of that might be op art meets hyper-realist figurative paintings. Combined, they do a similar thing in creating a visual fixation that evokes metaphysical experience. There’s an art historical lineage that I’m following and I think of my work as painting archetypal ‘formats’. There’s a ‘time travel’ process going on: op art and hyper-realism were from the 60s and 70s and take into account photography and mass media. I skip a couple of decades to now in order to re-contextualise these modes, via skipping through centuries in the past and finding equal inspiration in Islamic tile work. I’m moving around different parts of history, mining where needs be, to describe contemporary reality. They convey as much information as possible with the slightest suggestion of gesture, and have a sense of collapse where you realise it’s not actually a photograph but a painting.”