Only days into the first lockdown and I was starting to feel the effects of the restrictions. Creating art has always meant being by myself in the studio for long hours but this time it wasn't my choice and I could already tell this was going to be tough.

Alone in the studio, working on ideas, I heard a song playing on the radio. I felt myself tapping along and in turn my mood instantly improved. The song was Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, an artist I knew very little about. I was soon listening to his brand new album that was released only a couple of days later.

People coped with lockdown in different ways - exercising, drinking or learning a new hobby. I found myself having one of my most creative periods whilst listening to this album on repeat, as if it were a drug. I therefore named my new collection in its honour - After Hours.

The album, like the artist, is very dark and mysterious. This was exactly how I wanted my new collection to be. It was a direct response to the dark times I was facing. Each design has been named after a track from the album, they just went so well together. 

As we enter a new lockdown, I hope people can connect with my art in the same way in which I connected with the music. After all, we’ve all been on our own for long enough.

Zombiedan