My interest in red hair comes partly from the fact that I grew up with a red haired sibling. As a child I was jealous of what I saw to be a much more unique and exciting characteristic, but as I grew up I realised how many negative connotations also surround it. As an adult I am still drawn to red haired people, especially women.

It is estimated that less than 2% of the world population have red hair, a trait found most commonly in Britain.

Red hair has been a source of myth and speculation for centuries. As well as associations with a fiery temperament red hair has historically been associated with witches and villains. Shakespeare often symbolised villains through the use of a red wig, and in art characters such as Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene are often portrayed with red hair.

In my work I am often drawn to a sense of Britishness and I am interested with the tentative nature of our relationship to red hair, as a trait often associated with our nation it is odd to find such negative associations so strong in our society.