Inspired by religious iconography and his orthodox Christian faith, Tom creates art using pastels, oils and paper. He has always liked to create.
He is inspired by colour, especially blue and red, which he feels awakens the senses; both his and the viewer’s. Tom is a gentle soul. He has wrestled with mental illness, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, autism and with a stutter.
He draws inspiration from his illness as “a font of creativity” and sees art as valuable and important to support his journey to wellness.
After going to art school, Tom initially rejected the art world, focusing instead on controlling his stutter; art felt superfluous to life when more tangible priorities lie ahead. At that stage in his life, he questioned the point of art but since becoming an orthodox Christian, he now sees art as incredibly valuable and important.
We shot this set at Colchester Arts Centre, the former Church of St Mary at the Walls. We were blessed with a moment of sunlight through one of the large windows, where some of these photographs were captured.
