The starting point for this piece was a striking screen grab of a Tuareg woman at night, caught in the moonlight with her headwear slipping gently back.

There was something immediately cinematic about the image — the stillness, the expression and the way the cool light moved across her face. I knew straight away that I wanted to paint it.

The blue palette developed naturally from the moonlit setting, but it also created a connection to the deep indigo tones traditionally associated with Tuareg textiles and dress. That relationship between subject, light and colour became central to the finished work.

The result is a quiet, atmospheric portrait where the blues carry both the mood of the night and a subtle reference to the cultural identity of the sitter.