This Mission: Mary is an astronaut on a mission to challenge old narratives and to support diversity within STEM. Originally painted in oil on linen canvas, she is now traveling through the metaverse onboard a special limited edition of 55 animated NFTs. Each time Mary completes a quarter of her flight towards her destination, 25% of the total profit will be donated to Stemette Futures (UK registered charity). These landmarks also mean special space patch airdrops for collectors holding as each time she reaches a goal.

Mary's Story: My love for iconography dates back to my childhood when I was sent to a strict Catholic school for my early education. The school was also a convent and the walls of every room were covered with traditional religious iconography. This imagery still fascinates and inspires me to this day. 

In the school cafeteria, nestled next to the familiar icons and saints, hung a large NASA portrait of Christa McAuliffe. Every day during my lunch, I would stare at this portrait; the astronaut among the angels. My 6 year old self did not know her story at first, but I was immediately struck by how she appeared completely out of place and to perfectly fit in at the same time.

Eventually, I would learn the devastating story of the Challenger which took place only a couple of years before I first spotted this portrait. I would learn McAuliffe was also from New Hampshire (my home state) and that she was the teacher chosen out of over 10,000 applicants to be the first civilian to make the journey to space for the NASA Teacher in Space Project. Seventy-three seconds into its flight, the Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic and tragically the lives of all crew members were lost.

Once I knew the story, I felt even more connected to this portrait. The years began to pass and as I made my way through school, I would stare at McAuliffe every day. As I ate my lunch, I imagined new stories for her - somewhere in another universe, where ideas merge, paradigms shift and something new is created.

A few decades later in late 2019, I felt the urge to express this experience on canvas and I began painting Space Commander Mary - she was completed in March 2020, just days before the UK went into full lockdown due to the pandemic. In this portrait, the immaculate heart is on a space patch with a nod to Mary’s birthplace, delicate moon flowers grow and climb around the shuttle model, and a sacred geometric halo of gold leaf adorns her head. Still a Terror of Demons, rather than crushing it under her foot, the serpent is wrapped around her finger. 

4000px x 5000 px