My name is Athen, and I’m an artist based in Manchester, UK. Growing up, my mum often called me a “sensitive soul.” As a child, I misunderstood this as a weakness but over time, I’ve come to see it as a gift. Sensitivity allows me to form deep connections, experience life with vivid intensity, and dream without boundaries. While it can sometimes make me quiet or introspective, it’s also the driving force behind my creative practice, one that explores emotion, memory, and the healing power of creativity.

I studied Fine Art and Photography through to university and in my spare time, I painted purely for the joy of it. Eventually, I found my way into Graphic Design. I followed that path without knowing it would soon shift completely. When I lost my mum to her struggles with mental health, everything changed. That profound loss pushed me to pursue what had always been in my heart: a life dedicated to creating. What once was a hobby has become a powerful means of processing grief and transformation, an act of remembrance, growth, and storytelling that bridges personal pain with universal experience.

Each piece I create is an intimate offering, a conversation between pain and peace, absence and presence. I hope my work resonates with those who share similar stories, or with anyone drawn to emotive art with a pop-art esque touch.