Middlesbrough was home for my family. And then, like so many people from that part of the world, my family left it — moving first to Africa, then to Canada, in search of work.

This project is, in part, a way to go back and celebrate what I know and love about the town.

Drawn to the Boro is a large-scale portrait project celebrating the migration stories that have shaped Middlesbrough — a town founded in 1830 that grew rapidly through industrial expansion, drawing workers from across the UK and beyond. Migration is woven into its identity. As it is woven into mine.

Ten residents were nominated as unsung heroes — people who give generously to their communities, who act as role models, who quietly strengthen the lives of others. Each has shared their story with me. And each is now the subject of a portrait measuring approximately two metres by one metre.All ten sittings are now complete. The paintings are taking shape in my studio, and I find myself still moved by every encounter. Each person trusted me with their story. That trust is not something I take lightly.

The completed portraits will be exhibited in August 2027, supported by Borderlands, the Creative People and Places programme for Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland, funded by Arts Council England.

I'll be sharing more from this project in each newsletter — the research, the paintings as they develop, and something of the stories that have stayed with me.