The Elephant in the Room

The phrase: The Elephant in the Room relates to an overpowering presence which nobody wants to talk about. Pushed into the corner, out of sight; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition which unfortunately still holds connotations of weakness and failure. This mental illness, commonly associated with the armed services includes depression, feelings of anxiety, panic attacks and substance misuse, most commonly alcohol.

Alcohol drowns out the trauma and feelings of inadequacy caused or aggravated by the soldiers’ experiences. A cycle of self-abuse is established with the victim deteriorating further into their mental illness. Their addiction affects how they cope with the world, their family and their health.

The bed linen, wrapped and twisted represents the human passage of time, as a bodily journey with its internal conflicts. The sculpture is supported and wrapped throughout and hoisted towards the sky-light, yet sagging from its own weight, it slumps between the walls. Despite all this care from their family, the veteran still manages to break away and tumble to the ground. Families are also casualties of this mental illness as they try to contain the addiction while living with the victim’s unpredictability.

All the work references PTSD alongside the culture of music from the troubles in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq and now in Syria.

Bang, Bang my Baby shot me down
Kill Bill: Nancy Sinatra
Pure white sheeting, like a bridal bouquet - can plug a bullet hole, bandage a wound or signal surrender; but cannot ease the risk of delayed-onset of PTSD by veterans who have been exposed to the effects of multiple traumas over a long period of time; especially friendly fire, where your allies mistakenly strike your position.




Should I stay or should I go
The Clash
Forbytoo is the distinctive cream and red lined fabric used to clean a fired rifle. British armed forces are deployed in sensitive, contentious, law enforced regions where the discharge of a weapon can have catastrophic consequences.

Blow a kiss, fire a gun
Lean on: Major Lazer & DJ Snake
Clinging onto safety pins, nailed to a wall, the civilians of Falluja, Syria are trapped and devastated by civil war, suicidal bombers, terrorism and allied bombing.

I wanna see what you’re willing to lose
Desire: Years And Years
A fabric necklace stained and frayed over time echoes the irritation caused by grit in an oyster to produce a pearl; alcohol is a main contributor to oral and throat cancer. Military wives often are coerced into becoming drinking companions as they cope with cohabiting with the mental illness.


This body of work has evolved with the aim to raise and provoke questions; through unpicking the subconscious conditioning in our society and to challenge the values which have been omitted. These ethics are rooted in our history and survival.

Integral to the meaning of the practice, is the domestic and humble assortment of materials used to negotiate discomforting themes. The medium is often transitory, transparent or fragile to affect an intuitive, layered and primitive feeling; to allow the viewer an insight to the ‘internal’.