Southsea artist Samo White creates lockdown art to celebrate human touch - and it will be auctioned for Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth

The 33-year-old said: ‘Two weeks before lockdown I had major spinal surgery and had a lot of complications.

‘But it's led to a lot of creativity, I’ve been doing a lot of artwork to channel the pain.

‘I’m much better now, and mentally I’m great – I’ve been enjoying isolation. Being a creative, I’m used to solitude.’

Samo, who owns tattoo studio and art gallery Play Dead in Highland Road, Southsea, required the surgery because of his years spent bent over behind a tattoo machine – an affliction that is surprisingly common among tattooists, according to the artist.

He said: ‘It’s really common, being sat bent over for hours and hours on end.

‘Hopefully the surgery will mean the end of the problem – but I’ll have to look after myself in the future.’

And the time afforded by isolating alone means Samo, who is a trans man, has had time to focus on a book about his artwork and the LGBT community.

He said: ‘I have been driven to start a new project – I am crowdfunding to launch a book. It’s going to be a book of my artwork and celebrating my community, being trans. With a lot of the Prides cancelled this year, I wanted to do something to help my community.

‘I know a lot of Pride events have begun to reach out online and create online forums.

‘But I know there are a lot of trans people struggling with isolating at home and maybe they have not come out to their family.

‘It’s made me realise I need to be more visible so people can reach out.’

The crowdfunding project has so far raised more than £1,500 of its £13,000 target, with plans for the book to launch in the spring of next year.

Last year, Samo was commissioned by the WorldPride event in New York to create a mural in the city, and the artist won the Best Visual Artist award at The Guide Awards.

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