Manu Lisa

As seen on Sky Arts: Portrait Artist of the Year. “Manu Lisa” marks my first official self-portrait and a pivotal point in my artistic journey.

Whilst portraiture has always been a central interest of mine, I only felt compelled to turn the brush toward myself after visiting the Louvre in Paris and seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in person. The painting’s enigmatic smile, delicate composition, and subtle mastery were incredibly inspiring.

This also prompted me to reflect on representation within classical art and how a Renaissance portrait might look if there were more diverse subjects. With that question in mind, I created Manu Lisa- a reimagined homage that bridges the past and present. In the background of the landscape, I included a modern London skyline, marked by the London Eye, grounding the work in my own cultural experience and sense of home.

This painting not only reinterprets an iconic masterpiece but also sparked a continuing series of contemporary Renaissance-style portraits, featuring modern subjects, from public figures to close friends and family. The Manu Lisa became both a personal reflection and a statement on the evolving face of tradition and representation in art.