When I first began imagining The Fabric Of, I knew it wouldn’t be a portrait of just one person. The idea was always bigger than that. I wanted to explore how different lives, experiences, and environments shape identity, and I quickly realised that would require many perspectives rather than one.

Somewhere along the way, the number twenty became my goal.

Not because there’s anything magical about twenty, but because it felt ambitious enough to challenge me while still allowing each portrait the time and attention it deserves. Whether the series ultimately becomes eighteen, twenty, or thirty works doesn’t matter nearly as much as allowing it to grow naturally. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that good ideas rarely follow the timeline we imagine for them. This may become a project that stays with me for years, and I’m perfectly comfortable with that.

One question I’ve already been asked is how I’m deciding who becomes part of the series.

The answer is both simpler and more complicated than people might expect.

What I’m Actually Looking For

I’m not searching for the most successful people I know, the most photogenic, or even the most interesting on paper.

I’m looking for people who have left an impression on me.

Sometimes that’s because of a conversation I still think about years later. Sometimes it’s because of the way they’ve built a life around a passion, a neighbourhood, a community, or a craft. Sometimes it’s simply because I’ve known them long enough to understand the quieter parts of their personality that aren’t obvious to everyone else.

The people in The Fabric Of aren’t intended to be exact portraits. They exist somewhere between subject and inspiration.

Each work begins with a real person, but I’m less interested in documenting them than I am in capturing something that feels true about them. Their environments, routines, interests, and experiences become just as important as their physical appearance. Together, those elements create a portrait that is rooted in reality while leaving room for interpretation.

The Conversations Before the Thread

If I’m honest, I’ve already started casting people in my head.

I’ll be having coffee with someone or walking through a neighbourhood with them when a thought quietly appears: One day, I’d love to make a portrait inspired by you.

I rarely say it out loud.

Instead, I keep observing.

I’m paying attention to the stories they tell, the places they return to, the things they collect, and the ways they move through the city. Those observations often stay with me long after we’ve gone our separate ways, gradually weaving themselves into ideas for future compositions.

The funny thing is that some of these people will probably recognise themselves long before anyone else does. As I begin sharing sketches and works in progress, I suspect they’ll notice familiar details and realise they’ve quietly become part of the project.

I hope that feels less like being featured and more like being seen.

Why Some People Stay on the List and Others Don’t

Choosing someone for The Fabric Of isn’t about popularity or accomplishment.

It’s about connection.

Some people naturally inspire ideas because they’ve had a meaningful impact on my life. Others may simply be more private, and while I respect that deeply, I don’t yet feel I know them well enough to build an honest portrait around their experiences. Occasionally, the inspiration just isn’t there, and I’ve learned not to force it.

That isn’t a judgement on the person.

It’s simply a reminder that art begins with curiosity, and curiosity can’t be manufactured.

Who’s Next?

At the moment, the list exists mostly as conversations, observations, and notes scattered throughout my sketchbooks.

Some names have stayed there for years.

Others arrived unexpectedly.

I don’t know exactly who will become the twentieth portrait, or whether there will even be a twentieth. What I do know is that every work in The Fabric Of will begin the same way: with someone who has shaped my understanding of the world in ways both obvious and subtle.

In the end, that’s what this series has always been about. It’s a collection of portraits inspired by the people who have become part of the fabric of my life, and in doing so, have helped shape the fabric of theirs.

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