Serendipity led me to stumble across Yakisugi, the Japanese technique of charring wood to colour, seal and preserve it. I was drawn in by the idea that all that is needed for this transformation is fire, an entirely natural process.

In 2016 I moved to the UK to care for my mum. When I needed a break, I’d often find myself in the local wood recycling yard, a playground of unwanted wood, where there was always a fire burning, and a kettle just boiled.

I made my first toast board there, for my mum, who was a huge toast lover. Fast forward: I fell in love, moved to Brighton, a pandemic happened… Like many others, the first lockdown found us with more time for creative pursuits. We found a wealth of raw materials on our doorstep: plastic bottles, tins, pallets… We set up our small business, Artshed Brighton, in 2020, making art from recycled materials.