The idea of compiling a record of plastic waste occurred to me during recent visits to the Middle East, where, confronted by the widespread coastal pollution found in the region, I began to take stock of what has become a global – and increasingly alarming – issue. Exploring the visible, psychological and ecological impact of plastic waste led me to conceive my project 'Seasick'. During recent beach clean-ups, I conducted some initial field research and collected marine plastic debris. I then recorded and documented my findings using cyanotype, an alternative photographic process that produces dark-blue prints and which enabled me to use a low-tech method of mass reproduction with a low environmental impact. While the subject matter is not new, I decided to make it more resonant by establishing further conceptual links – for example, by using only seawater to develop my prints. This process allowed me to produce a series of images in which a range of ghostly absences seemingly float in a vast open sea.

Born to an Anglo-Irish mother and a Sudeten-German father in Wiesbaden, Germany, I grew up in a bilingual family home, dividing my time between Ireland and Germany. I went on to study photography at the Technological University Dublin, developing a keen interest in visual narratives. I subsequently relocated to London to pursue further postgraduate studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London, deepening my understanding of critical and contemporary art-making theories and practices. In 2017, I trained as a teacher at University College London, developing specialist subject-specific skills in teaching art to young people.