Sinead O'Connor

It was a shock to hear the sad and unexpected news of Sinead O'Connor's death. I remember discovering her as a teenager and being captivated by her shaved head - the perfect shape of it and the beauty of her face. Her songs felt unusual and unique - both loud and soft. In the last few months, I keep wanting to hear her voice on YouTube - discovering performances and interviews she did when she was in her 20s that I hadn’t seen before. She's mesmerising. I wanted to paint her using her voice at full tilt - singing from her heart, challenging institutionalised thinking and expressing herself fearlessly.