about

I started drawing very young. One of my earliest memories is sitting with my sister, copying her drawings. I remember being envious of how good she was, which slowly turned into a challenge: *one day, I want to be just as good.*

I think of my sister as my first ever artistic inspiration, long before I knew the names of any famous artists.

At school, I drew almost every day. Teachers, friends and classmates would compliment my work, and for a shy and timid kid, drawing became one of the few ways I felt seen and heard. Most of what I know today has been self-taught.

My art teacher, Chris, encouraged me to enter *The Young Art Exhibition*, an annual exhibition supporting research into childhood and young people's cancers. My work was selected every year during my time at the Spanish school, and in 2018–19, one of my pieces was exhibited at the *Saatchi Gallery* for the same cause.

Walking through the gallery with childhood friends and seeing strangers stop to look at something I had made changed something in me. It made the dream feel possible.

Creating gives me peace. It slows everything down and lets me breathe.

I want to eventually give other people the opportunity I didn't have — especially kids and young adults who might not be able to afford art school — and give them a place to express themselves.

And then there's *macmac*.

It was a nickname I was given as a kid. For a long time, I didn't want my friends to know about it. Now, I've decided to embrace it.