09.03.23, Works on display and for sale until May 31st at Plus + PLUS, Eltham, NSW
Plus + PLUS is a gallery, shop, and studio led by the inimitable Nadège Hamdad. The space provides an opportunity to delve into her lo-fi relational art practice and advocacy for mental health, exploring deeply human themes. As described by Nadège, the space ‘breathes in the veracity of mental ill-health’ and ‘breathes out shame and stigma’. Good.
My work on display is part of a collection I’m developing which examines the etymology of the word "romance." It explores the less commonly known meaning of the word, rather than its lovey-dovey connotation.
romance
/rə(ʊ)ˈmans,ˈrəʊmans/
2. a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life
The collection was captured during a transient phase of my life when I experienced a longing for connection, comfort, and a sense of "home." I found solace in relics and abandoned objects which felt like gifts from humanity, offering me the comforting perspective of time. The more curious the scene, the more I felt transported by humour and wonder. By immortalising these scenes on film, I could make sense of my discoveries: that curiosity, impermanence, and the beautifully-human desire for connection are all ever-inhabitable spaces that can be deemed “home."
15.10.20, 'The Dichotomy Of Love In A World of Impermanence' published in Ponderings Magazine
A snippet from an essay on surrender, self-preservation, and some lessons lockdown taught me on impermanence:
"Viruses mutate. Restrictions lift. Moments drip through fingers like glorified pearlescent goo. Love, plans, and states of being can only ever be held like they are now. I admit that I’m an anxious lover, but I no longer want to wear it like protective fur over my collarbones. I don’t want my life to be determined by the meaning I give to my traumas, the false permanence I give my identity. There's a soothing safety in the quality of holding something, anything of this world, just as close as keeping it far away, and looking at it like it’s brand new, and about to slip away."
13.09.20, poetry and collage zine snippets
Images physically cut and pasted, a cringey mishmash of fonts, poetry written during heart recovery
The zine explores finding safety in vulnerability.
[No longer available for purchase]
09.04.20, print for sale at CREAM TOWN
One of my prints now sits cute among a heap of incredible photography and art prints.
Cream Town is a collective online art shop of 200 artists, all of which were financially affected by the pandemic. 'Al Yarmouk' is printed by Hound & Bone Studio in sizes up to A1 and optionally framed by Icon Frames.
Image taken on my first ever roll of film on a balcony in 2012 in Amman, Jordan
