Delaine Le Bas

Earlier this year I visited an exhibition by Delaine Le Bas at the Whitworth in Manchester.

Le Bas's work draws from her Romany heritage, weaving together identity, history, storytelling and resistance. The installation felt layered and lived-in; objects, textiles and images carrying traces of personal and collective experience.

As I walked through the exhibition, I found myself reflecting on a fascination that has followed me since childhood. Growing up, a neighbour kept horses that seemed impossibly large to my younger self. He had friends from travelling communities, and although I couldn't have explained it then, something about their presence stayed with me. Perhaps it was the sense of difference, the gold jewellery, the strong characters and stories. Perhaps it was the idea of movement rather than permanence.

Today, I still find myself drawn to those worlds. What interests me is not nostalgia but the sense of a life lived according to a different rhythm; one less tied to fixed places and conventional expectations.

As an artist, I recognise a similar pull towards independence, curiosity and freedom. Not necessarily freedom of movement, but freedom of thought.

Delaine Le Bas's work resonated with me because it speaks from lived experience while remaining deeply creative and uncompromising. It reminded me how powerful art can be when it emerges from identity, heritage and a determination to tell stories that might otherwise be overlooked.