Embedded Files
Ten works comprising woodblock print, oil painting, and ink illustration explore the loneliness we encounter as we find the courage to know ourselves. Juxtaposing the concepts of mental and physical isolation as both a tranquil journey and an aimless inevitability, this exhibition presents a series of contradictions and as such highlights the conflict between the futility and necessity of introspection.
learning all over again how to see
drawing pen on paper
700 x 200 mm
A lone hiker is juxtaposed on a panoramic mountain peak. The figure’s miniscule size contrasted against the wide expanse of nature is symbolic of self-exploration and intentional isolation. Negative space leaves the sky open to convey a sense of peace, while the intricacy of pattern imbues an intimidating feeling to the extensive landscape. The otherwise lack of colour or human life fosters a feeling of loneliness, which is compounded by the contrasting red of the figure. The alarming connotations of red superimposed on an otherwise natural palette comments on the absurdity of the introspective journey.
i am afraid
dip pen on paper
750 x 550 mm
The dense foliage of a mountain peak is rendered in a dip pen from an upward-leading perspective, chosen to emphasise its size and construct a daunting feeling. The viewer is placed in the perspective of a hiker and are thus similarly imbued with a sense of isolating fear. Water bleeds the ink upwards into an unfurling mist - visually similar to fire - to introduce movement from either side and further guide the eye upwards. The darkness of the bled ink constructs a sense of dread.
he cannot free himself from them
oil on wood
1200 x 1200 mm
The inscrutable expression of anger in my dad’s childhood photographs is used to convey the loneliness we feel when we’re not understood. The use of negative space physically places him in isolation while his life-size fosters a sense of confrontation. Combined with the movement created by the natural woodgrain, the gold fire painted behind his figure reflects internalised, misunderstood raw emotion, which exceeds the size of his physical self.
this very heart which is mine will forever remain indefinable to me
oil on wood
970 x 550 mm
I am looking upwards at the sky, which consumes the majority of the composition and symbolises the broad expanse and possibilities of human thought. Placing the figure in the bottom guides the eye upwards towards the top left, creating distance between the audience and myself while emphasising the sky. Thicker application of oil paint to the clouds contrasts the flatness of the subject, implying greater dimension to contemplation than to the corporeal self. Grayscale hues construct a sense of nostalgia and a feeling of lifelessness, which evokes a contemplative mood.
the intensity of hope - or, anguish.
ink woodblock print on paper
830 x 585 mm
Two inverse patterns of leaves were handcut into woodblocks. A black triptych portrays a sphere of leaves that symbolise a collection of thoughts. With each print watercolour blurs the background to reflect increasing confusion. A second leaf print is shaped in the inverse of a circle, printed in red ink; situated directly opposite, this conveys a parallel sense of entrapment to juxtapose against the planet-like shape of the triptych. Woodgrain reveals itself in a static pattern that furthers a sense of confusion and fragmentation.
let me tell you something: this will never end
woodblock print on paper
1200 x 1200 mm
Cut into MDF and printed repeatedly, a rocky terrain uses natural patterns to express the perpetual nature of self-exploration. Individual prints are tiled directly onto the wall so as to simulate an isolated and blank terrain on which the audience embarks, alone. Black and white ink suggest the presence of clouds, which, applied absurdly to imagery of the earth, comments on the enigmatic and cyclical nature of questioning life’s purpose.
i cannot, for all that, apprehend the world
acrylic, oil, and gold on linen
2400 x 1800 mm
An immense canvas juxtaposes against a life-size hyper realistic self-portrait which is painted in the corner, visually isolating my physical form. Yellow acrylic was initially scraped to create a patchy texture to reflect fragmentation; parts of it remain visible to suggest the presence of fire, which connotes danger. In contrast, a bright sky which is separated from me by brown vines leads the eye upwards and away, which comments on my lack of inner peace.
i can't breathe
oil and silver on wood
305 x 381 mm
There is a perpetual feeling of constriction in my heart, as demonstrated by groping hands that tear at my chest. I used a knife to gouge wood from my body to visualise my physical pain. Imagery of vines which encircle bits of silver and contrasting white around my face symbolise the feelings of joy to which I am withheld access. The raw ends of the arms and the white leaves, my continuous motif, suggest that that which harms me is also damaged.
i will wait forever for this to pass
oil and gold on wood
300 x 375 mm
Thickened acrylic was used to build a series of vines which wrap around four wood panels, glued together to build a sense of depth and emphasise a sense of mental entrapment. The vines direct movement towards the center of the surface on which my self-portrait gazes directly at the viewer in a resigned expression. Gold leaf inlaid in the irises create a reflective quality that both furthers a disturbing mood and lends to lifelike interaction with the audience.
the mind that desires and the world that disappoints
oil and silver on wood
381 x 381 mm
I am constantly pressured by the awareness of my own failures, by the compulsion to be self-honest and yet the need for confronting the truth. On my left, a series of tangled vines are rendered in bright orange in connotation of danger, while the right uses a pattern of white and silver tones confined in much neater vines to visualise patches of sky. My face is turned towards this brighter side, but the orange demands the viewer’s attention and as such symbolises my restricted access to a sense of peace.
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