DID YOU FEEL LOVED GROWING UP? I did. I struggled a lot with myself, but I was loved. I’ve always been very independent, but inherently there was a foundation there.

MY MOTHER IS … Very loving, compassionate, a worrier. I drifted away from her for a few years, but in the last ten years, we have really bonded and have a lovely relationship. She’s a good sounding board.

WHAT ARE THE BEST TRAITS YOU HAVE INHERITED? My mother showed me to take care of myself but I didn’t follow that for a lot of my life. I was a young man who didn’t learn about the spectrum of emotions, so I fell back on only one persona: the angry young man. That led to a lot of unhealthy lifestyle choices, being internally destructive, with an inner voice that was quite mean. I didn’t have a lot of compassion for myself. But it got to the stage that I got sick of my own shit. I became more self-aware and compassionate to myself, and then that extended out to others. I think that’s when my ma and me became closer again and I could see what she’d tried to show me.

WHAT IMPACT DID SCHOOL HAVE ON YOUR LIFE? It’s such a cliché ? the artist didn’t like school. You are a sponge when you are young and there were things said at school that had a huge impact on my life for years. When I got to college, I discovered I was dyslexic. But I had it hardwired into my brain that I was slow or thick, and I didn’t fully engage. If there had been more nurturing, it would have made a big difference. I realise now that I just process things differently.

WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU’D GROW UP TO BE? A lumberjack. Or a wrestler.

WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ART? At school, it was as if they were always steering me away from art because it was a hobby, not a career. Art was considered a waste of time. Luckily for me, there was something that always steered me back to it. Art was like a companion. I saved money from a paper round to buy paint to do a mural, and I got into graffiti in my teens. I did a PLC [Post Leaving Cert] course after school. Then I got into a fine art course and it didn’t really suit me because I had the mindset that no career could come of it. So I dropped out, became a commis chef, then went back to do graphic design because that was an actual job. I found a lovely synergy there between typography and graffiti and felt more of a drive to succeed. I’m still building my confidence, I still question myself. That inner voice still has to be managed.

NOW, WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTH AT WORK? I have a frantic mind, which usually starts whirring at about 5am. I’ll have an idea and just get going. The more I take care of myself, I can get into that space a lot quicker. I had to take medication for a few years and that switched off the creative flow and the fear that it would never come back was terrifying. Now that the flow is back, I’m, like, OK, just nurture it.

MY FRIENDSHIPS ARE … Solid. The last few years, I’ve had to step away from friendships a bit. Alfie [Maser’s son] is one now, and we’ve just bought a house, so it’s a case of family in first place, then painting and creativity. Friendship and socialising are right down the list but I know they are still there. My circle has got a lot smaller. In my 20s, I liked buzzing around town and knowing everybody but now there’s not a lot of value in that for me.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF GRIEF WAS … One of my best friends died by suicide and it had a profound effect on the lives of me and my friends. I was 19. I didn’t understand that it was very traumatic and it took over my life for about ten years. I was numb. Life felt meaningless for a long time. The things I do now – being aware, working with young artists – [Atelier Now’s artist programmes provide emerging artists with advice and other supports] help me honour my friend’s memory.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU DO THAT KEEP YOU SANE? I’m 41 now, a bit of a late bloomer. In my 30s, I suffered from depression and I was diagnosed with a chronic stress disorder and while I still have a lot of cortisol and adrenaline in my body, I manage it. I do that through going to the gym, doing my meditation and journalling, and giving myself plenty of time. Years back, I went to The Transcendental Meditation Centre across the canal from my studio and found meditation and it changed my life.

DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH CAN BE SUPPORTED? I see my wife Dee with her friends and they have this amazing ability to just meet and the chat happens … bam, bam, bam. Men find it hard to get into that space, or if it happens with alcohol, you say what’s on your mind and then you fall back on, ‘oh, I was just drunk’, or it becomes part of the banter. My friend Conor Creighton is a meditation teacher in Berlin. He set up The Berlin Boys Club and he thought we should do something like it here – a men’s safe space. We organised it and about 20 guys came. When Covid happened, it turned into an outdoor hiking club. At the Dublin Boys Club, we don’t drink, there’s no banter. Guys tend to always try to problem solve, so we don’t do that. We just chat. Sitting down chatting is good, but jumping in and out of conversations on your way up a hill works too.

DO YOU BELIEVE THE #METOO MOVEMENT HAS MADE MEN MORE FEARFUL? Well, if you’re fearful, then you know that you’re doing the wrong thing. If you’re a right sort of person, you know not to do it anyway.

MY STYLE SIGNIFIER IS … A beard. I’d look weird without one. I’ve had one since my early 20s. I shaved it once. I won’t be going back there again.

I BUY MY CLOTHES WHEN … My clothes have a journey. What I’m wearing now will turn into painting clothes very soon, once I brush against something and get paint on them. Jeans reach the end when they start ripping at the crotch – then Dee gives out to me about them.

FAVOURITE SHOES? Clarks Wallabees.

EXERCISE ROUTINE? I like the gym, outdoor challenges. I cycled across Ireland. I walked across Ireland. I like endurance things, they translate well into my work. Knowing I can find the energy to push through, keep going, really helps with my painting.

MUSIC? I listen to Icelandic music, Sigur Ros, Bjork, stuff on an abstract frequency that doesn’t distract me, when I work. I’m a Damien Dempsey fan – he’s a pal of mine.

I DEAL WITH A SETBACK BY … I’ve had lots so I’ve got better at managing them. I move on pretty quickly. I don’t get too excited about rewards but I don’t get too low about setbacks, either. I’m big on practising gratitude. When we got a house I was so proud of myself because that’s so hard for a creative to do.

A HOLIDAY I’D LIKE TO REPEAT … Me and Dee went to Scotland and climbed Ben Nevis. It rained for three days but we had the best craic. We’ve been to bougie hotels, sitting by the pool, just waiting to go home, but holidays that are a bit of a struggle bring you closer.

THE PERFECT WEEKEND INCLUDES … I like the calendar empty. Up early. Not drinking. A great hike. A lovely swim. Hanging out with my ma. I don’t need a lot.