My current series, Plastic Playground, explores the neglect of the natural environment through our careless use and disposal of plastic. The paintings collectively ask the question: Where does all this plastic end up? Through this central question, the series continues the development of themes surrounding pollution, from my previous series, Flotsam where I first explored the consequences of our consumption habits and the challenges of sustainability and waste management.

In Plastic Playground, I have replaced the waste materials that featured in Flotsam with a new central subject: my daughter’s plastic toys. These familiar objects become symbols of our attitudes towards plastic waste and litter. Each toy is depicted incongruously within a natural landscape, representing the unwelcome yet increasingly prevalent presence of manufactured materials within the environment.

Through alterations of scale and the inherent playfulness of these objects, I use satire and dark humour to approach a serious and urgent environmental crisis in a way that is accessible and engaging – encouraging viewers to consider the lasting consequences of our everyday relationship with plastic.