Traces: Veil (see paintings below) engages with the history of the medieval Lothians, taking as inspiration the 13th-century Scoto-Norman knight Sir David de Lindsey and his fatal campaign during the Eighth Crusade.

This was a difficult and contentious subject to explore, stemming from my encounter with the 800-year-old crusader effigy encountered in a forest of East Lothian. For me it felt absolutely essential to explore ways to paint this representation of  never-ending war in the holy lands.

The subject wasn’t easy and attracted criticism, but ultimately I wanted to translate the physical and emotional weight of exile, disease, isolation, and trauma into semi-abstract visual meditations. Through layered blue hues, scratched textures, and luminous structural forms, the works evoke an inner landscape, exploring the tragic, timeless repetition of human conflict and the fragile search for sanctuary.

Ultimately, Traces: Veil operates as a quiet space for reconciliation and a universal reflection on memory, vulnerability, and peace.

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