Originally a Photoshop collage, I decided to revisit this 2004 digital print as a big, bad oil painting. I know what you’re thinking. Is it a mythical messiah, or is it classical bondage? Instrument of torture or a recreational X-frame? Is this a guy called Johnny? It’s whatever you want it to be. You can breath now.

For the first time in 15 years, I’m painting again, exhibiting my work at the Sin In My Heart show in Manchester. Once upon a time, in Amsterdam, I had one of my oil paintings up in a sex shop. But as our curator, Paul Darling remarked, nobody goes to a sex shop to look at the art! When word went out that the theme of the new exhibition was sex, death, sin and religion, I put myself forward as a contributor. How could I not?

Announcing my new piece, oil on canvas 76x91cm, entitled X