I wash your hands

I wash your hands is a self-portrait with my young son. The work was on my mind for a couple of years, and it felt appropriate to make it through 2020. Initially I’d been thinking of the symbolism of water and cleansing in a spiritual context – the washing of hands as a sacred act.

During the 2020 lockdowns, with the narrowing of the borders of life for many to the boundaries of the home, I started considering the work more in a domestic setting, the washing of hands an act of keeping safe, of protection, of community-mindedness.

Currently in progress, the work will eventually incorporate a single master drawing, an animation developed from the drawing and a text-based element.