Background and introduction for my

Spin paintings on canvas series

Spin paintings became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, pioneered by artists like Annick Gendron and Lawrence Stafford and later revitalised in the 1990s by Damien Hirst, who continues to inspire and create beautiful spin paintings. My first introduction to spin painting was in kindergarten, around age five or six. We had a spinning platform used for both clay and small porcelain figures. Back then, I used only watercolours, and my mother used to say I could spend entire days absorbed in making spin paintings. So, creating these dynamic pieces captivated me from an early age. As an artist, my work balances the creative process of uncovering something and bringing it into view; other times, I manipulate form. My background in analogue photography influences how I approach spin painting. In photography, particularly with analogue film, there is always a degree of unpredictability—you know your subject, but the outcome remains unknown until the image develops. Spin painting shares this same unpredictability. As colours flow onto a spinning canvas, the eventual composition feels like the moment a darkroom print comes to life: magical, unexpected, and beautiful. There is something particularly striking about how spin paintings resemble the iris of an eye. This imagery of seeing through another’s perspective draws me in, while the mechanical simplicity of the process contrasts with the complexity it produces.  The swirling colours and forms resemble the vastness of the universe, making each painting feel expansive and multidimensional. While the technique is accessible, I have incorporated unique elements, such as silver sheets, spray paint and diamond dust (pulverised Swarovski crystals), creating a sparkling, dynamic effect under varying lights.  The connection between spin painting and photography resonates deeply with me. In both mediums, there’s a pivotal moment when the final image reveals itself—a transformation from motion and light into a tangible form. Gravity, a constant influence in the spinning process, mirrors the forces that govern our universe, making these paintings feel like reflections of the cosmic order.