About Me

I have had a passion for art since first working on archaeological excavations in Cyprus as part of my BA in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, which I received from Bryn Mawr College. After completing my degree, I was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation in New York, through which I was employed by the Ministry of Fine Art in Bangkok and asked to supervise excavations in Sukhothai province, northern Thailand. Upon returning from Asia to New York, I was hired as a specialist in the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art department at Sotheby's, and subsequently as the Director of an Asian art gallery in Manhattan. I am the co-author of numerous auction and exhibition catalogues, including Icons of Devotion, Divine Incarnations, and Realm of the Gods. After being awarded an MA (distinction) in History of Art and Archaeology from SOAS, University of London, I worked on a variety of exhibitions and research projects on behalf of private collectors, dealers and institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal Geographical Society. 

My desire to return to working directly with objects again, as I had in the field, led to my decision to pursue a degree in conservation. For my MA (distinction) in Conservation, which I received from City & Guilds of London Art School, I chose to focus on laser cleaning techniques, using an Nd:YAG Q-switched laser (1064 nm) for the treatment of a Chinese 19th century ivory lidded basket, and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to analyse changes to the chemistry of the surface of ivory after being irradiated with different laser systems and wavelengths. The results of my research were presented at the Lacona XII conference in Paris in 2018 and will be published in Studies in Conservation (forthcoming). I have also used an Nd:YAG Q-switched laser to clean a variety of works of art in different media, including marble and plaster. In addition, to supplement my degree, I worked for the Sculpture Conservation Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum, assisting with the cleaning and conservation of plaster casts, and studied in Japan at Tsurumi University. 

With over twenty-five years of experience in the art world, I have an appreciation for the inherent aesthetic qualities of an object and the ability to work with clients and stakeholders to achieve the desired result. As the only owner and operator of the GC Laser system in the U.K., for which I received further specialist training in Chicago, I am fortunate to be able to work on pieces in my studio, or to bring this unique, patented laser to projects elsewhere in London or throughout the country on a freelance basis in partnership with other practicing conservators.