My time as the first Tyburn Fellow at Civitella has been profound—rich with reflection, creation, and unexpected connection. As a sculptor, having time dedicated to painting has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. Engaging with such an expansive medium in a concentrated timeframe has shown me just how vast its possibilities are. It’s offered me a new way of expressing emotion—through vibrant color, gestural movement, and the restraint of two-dimensional space—which contrasts and complements the weight and dimensionality of sculpture. This period has added a powerful new layer to my visual language.
Living and working at Civitella alongside artists from around the world has been both humbling and transformative. The intensity of sharing space, time, and process with people from such different backgrounds initially pushed me outside of my comfort zone. But that discomfort became fertile ground for vulnerability, which in turn fostered genuine exchange, insight, and friendship. I leave with deep relationships formed through dialogue, difference, and shared dedication to craft—and I feel honored to have represented my own culture and voice in that space.
The support from the Tyburn Foundation has been nothing short of foundational. It lifted the financial weight that often inhibits artists from dedicating themselves fully to their practice, and made possible a focused and generative period of creation. Beyond funding, the relationship with Emma Menell, the founder and patron of the Tyburn Foundation, and Alessandra Olivi, the Program Director, has offered both structure and care—balancing mentorship and autonomy in a way that allowed the best of my work to emerge.