"This piece was painted late last year, it’s a portrait of a friend of mine – a local musician of Rwandan descent. She’s an interesting personality who exudes a strong sense of personal style. I’ve been working on these portraits of people who are the faces of the New Pacific – specifically in this region in the South Pacific where I live. It’s a dynamic region with an incredible history and a rapidly changing face. This interests me a lot. It took a few decent sessions over a few days. This is becoming my trademark portrait style, the way I use colour, like a multiple exposure or as if the image is solarised. I like the combination of aggressive spray painted lines and then very refined brushwork so the painting has a sense of both motion and depth." - Askew
