The history of the Willow Pattern—an 18th-century British invention that borrowed heavily from Chinese motifs while marketing itself as “authentically oriental”—raises complex questions about cultural appropriation that resonate deeply with me. Growing up, I became acutely aware of how cultures can be borrowed from, distorted, romanticised, or commodified, their origins often not acknowledged. Discovering that this iconic design was itself a product of adaptation piqued my interest and opened up space for me to explore the idea of reinterpretation within my own practice. In this body of work, I consciously appropriate the Willow Pattern in return—adopting its blue-and-white palette and replacing its invented mythology with contemporary scenes that celebrate the vibrancy and everyday rhythms of inner-city life.