Turbocharged: launchpad to space

In 2010, the cumbrous and evocative locomotive was my starting point for my first artworks as a professional artist. Within a few months, these sculptures would eventually transcend their earthy, industrial origins and soar into the realm of science fiction.

At first, I sculpted locomotives, but as I shaped the clay, they began to take on a life of their own. They transformed into monstrous space ships, with wheels that could crush mountains and wings that could blot out the sun. These sculptures were beasts with animalistic features. They were sometimes brutal and sported a bull bar that bespoke of violence and destruction. And as I looked upon them, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were alive, that they could rise up and walk, that they could think, that they could feel. They were alive and waiting for their time to come.

Sculpting is a dialogue between the material and my soul. Each sculpture is a new journey of improvisation and instinct, a story I am discovering as I go. My work is a living thing, a being that I breathe life into and watch it take shape. Although the clay model had been the initial creation, it was the silicon mould and the acrylic resin cast that ensured the sculpture's longevity. I used the mould for reproducing a flawless, identical replica in resin. So that the final sculpture was a piece that would stand the test of time.