I am delighted to present to you a small selection of images from my most recent work and book published by French publishing house, Filigranes Éditions

 ‘Butterflies in the night’ is a photographic journey that captures the physical changes and associated emotions of my second pregnancy. 

The work extends beyond my pregnancy and into early days of motherhood capturing moments in confined time during the COVID pandemic. A story of many layers and themes, using images, dried pressed flowers, Japanese hand-made papers to translate this inner cosmos. 

Butterflies In The Night, refers to the first sensations of Ella (my second daughter) moving before she was born.  The title also hints at the undercurrents of anxiety, fear and conflicting emotions running throughout my life during this period ; movement vs slowing down, confined vs set free, transformations vs limitations, pain vs mystery, darkness vs light, beauty and joy. Each image in this series charts a particular moment and reflection on this ever-shifting and unfinished emotional journey.

I set up a home studio in my apartment in Paris for the self portraits during my pregnancy and pictures of Ella as a newborn baby.

The choices of props were consciously selected and played important roles as layers in the work. The baby blanket featured with Ella was given to me by my mother when Lili (my first daughter) was born, it was my own baptism blanket.The pressed flowers in the collages were the same flowers placed as props throughout this series. In this way a faded memory meets an emerging one and a way of preserving a special moment in time.

Butterflies In The Night is also a story of beautiful encounters and discoveries with a group of incredibly talented female artists and artisans. Starting with trips to Montreuil to visit the studio of Diana Lui, where the idea of this project was born.

I worked with floral artist Miyoko Yasumoto who sourced beautiful floral props for the photo-shoot based around the various themes of my concept and my mood-board. I collaborated with Isabelle Ciron to create custom made frames for the prints in her atelier “Isadorure” in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. 

This new process of two dimensional work, bringing together my passion for photography, flowers and paper is something unique and special for me that emerged from this time, and work I am passionate to continue. 

 The final artwork was produced in my home studio. All the final images were printed (using a professional canon printer) on fine-art hand-made Awagami paper. The fine art prints were then mounted on custom made floating oak frames by Isabelle Ciron. The frames have a non-reflective, museum quality glass. From print to collage to frame – every step has been done by hand with special attention and consideration. 

 Butterflies In The Night has been selected and been published by French publishing house Filigranes Éditions and Diana Lui to be part of Punctum 2. A selection of these images were exhibited at the Gallery 8, Arles during the Rencontres D’Arles (the prestigious international photography festival) July, 2022.