Thanks for working with us on Vehicles For Change.

To begin, can you tell us a little bit about the origins of your practice and its evolving focus on the people, objects and environment which surround you?

I think it all started with a love of the act of painting; often, what is painted is merely an excuse to explore the process of painting itself.

People, objects... I don’t know, they’re what’s closest to me. I end up focusing on more intimate situations, those involving personal contact, the things that are close to me.

You recently made new work on one of 4BYSIX’s unconventional canvases made from repurposed lorry tarpaulin as part of the Vehicles For Change initiative. What was the initial appeal of working with 4BYSIX?

There are several things I find exciting about the 4BYSIX project. The first, of course, is being able to help people in need, even if only a little; that social aspect is often overlooked in art. I particularly like the bit about the football team, as I’m quite a football fan.

I also like the fact that it uses recycled materials, giving a new lease of life to materials that are seemingly useless.

Finally, doing something I don’t usually do. I always try to seek out materials and techniques I haven’t fully controlled, as new results and new things always emerge, allowing me to keep playing.

How did you find the process of working on the surface, and what more can you tell us about the new work you have made?

It’s been interesting; the paint flows differently, and the texture of the material has an industrial feel to it that I like. In fact, on one of the pieces, I decided to leave a patch of red paint that was already on the original fabric.

The least interesting part has been the drying time. I know you warned me, but it’s taken much longer than I expected.

I’ve painted two heads. That week, the late-summer clouds had returned, and everything was a bit cloudier, even me. Also, heads often serve as an excuse for me not to worry about what I’m painting, but rather how I’m painting it.

Given that you describe your practice as autobiographical, contemplating how we inhabit and approach the world through an artistic process, do thoughts on your own and humanity’s relationship with the wider world cross into this process?

Everything eventually comes to the surface, yes... sometimes in a more explicit and clear way, and other times in a more veiled way. Sometimes they’re very deep feelings or thoughts, and other times they’re very ridiculous and trivial things. It’s a very human thing. I find that contradictory point extremely fascinating.

Following the autobiographical side of your practice and 4BYSIX’s use of repurposed automobile parts, can you tell us about your personal connection to cars and transportation, and whether this has previously been a subject of your work?

Not particularly, although I have painted certain scenes set inside a car. I often paint scenes with an intimate atmosphere, and a car is often just as intimate as any other room in your house. I also often include drawings of cars or motorbikes; I’m not quite sure why, perhaps because I see so many of them every day.

Lastly, how are you, and how has life been in the studio recently? Are you working on any new ideas or projects?

I’m doing great. Over the last six months, my life has changed a bit because I’ve just become a dad. Right now I’m doing a residency, the ATMA-ART House, and I’ll be painting in Budapest for about 40 days. It’s a real pleasure, and I’ve also been able to bring my girlfriend and my son with me, so it’s great.