Page 54 - Winter Issue

Your work is informed by phenomenology, focusing on the relationship between the viewer and
architectural space. How do you go about designing spaces that foster presence and grounding?
I relate to Marina Abramović’s work, especially her piece "The Artist is Present," where she sat and stared into the eyes of
her audience. I found that piece powerful because it conveyed her feelings through presence alone. Even though I work
primarily in installations and sculpture, I feel a strong connection to performance art. Abramović speaks about how the
mind often distracts us through overthinking, while the body is wiser. I relate to that when I work instinctively—my body
knows how to create, but my mind sometimes overthinks the process. So I try to lean into that instinctive process.
Spontaneity seems to be a key part of your process, starting with instinctive drawings. Can you describe
how your creative ideas develop from these initial moments of spontaneity to finished pieces or
installations?
Philosophy, especially phenomenology, influences my practice. Phenomenology examines the nature of subjective
experience and seeks to describe the universal aspects of consciousness. I’m drawn to this because it acknowledges that
everyone’s experience is different. I bring this idea into my work by creating abstract pieces, allowing viewers to connect
to the work in their way. For me, if a piece is too direct, it might limit how someone can engage with it. I like giving
viewers the space to form their interpretations, and I prefer to avoid creating something too literal—like a flower that is
just a flower. Instead, I like to distill what I find beautiful about a flower and create something else entirely that speaks
to that beauty, allowing viewers to find their connections and comfort in it.
You've worked on socially engaged projects and teaching workshops. How does your engagement with
the community influence your artistic practice, and how do you hope to make art more accessible?
Spontaneity is a key part of my process because, in many areas of my life, I tend to overthink things, which can cause a
lot of unease. However, when I create spontaneously, I feel free, and I often like the results. Of course, spontaneity can
sometimes lead to problems, but troubleshooting those issues can result in something amazing. In reality, even though I
work spontaneously, I spend quite a bit of time thinking about what I want to create or how I envision an installation
while doing other things, like quick sketches or brainstorming. So, while my drawings may be spontaneous, they are also
supported by periods of planning.
For instance, I’ll often have bursts of drawing activity, followed by breaks where I don’t draw at all. I think it’s important
to have pauses between periods of intense creativity and making. It helps you to reengage with the process when you
return. For me, creating art is like warming up—spontaneous drawings act as my warm-up, helping me get into the flow
before I dive into larger projects.
Your installations offer a space for calm and reflection. What role do you believe art plays in providing
moments of contemplation in today’s fast-paced world?
Another significant part of my practice is engaging with different communities through teaching workshops. I love
working with people from all walks of life, whether they are adults or children. Teaching workshops allows me to see
how others from various backgrounds and experiences approach art and the creative process. It’s inspiring and often
informs my work. I believe art should be accessible to everyone, and sometimes all it takes is giving someone some
paper and pens to spark their creative expression. Art can be both simple and complex, but offering someone the
opportunity to engage with it can make a big difference in their life, especially if they’ve never had that chance before.
In your exhibition "Perspective" for ArtWalk Wakefield, you created an immersive experience. Can you
share some insights into the concept behind this work and how you approached its design?
In my installations, I aim to create moments of calm and reflection. I believe that art has the power to bring us back to
ourselves as creative beings, and that’s what I want to offer viewers through my installations—a space to pause and
reconnect. For example, my exhibition "Perspective" for ArtWalk Wakefield was all about creating an immersive
experience. The idea was to explore the different perspectives offered by the height variations in each piece, the contrast
in colors, and the lighting cast upon the work. The installation was set in an old chapel, and the contrast between this
historic space and the abstract, contemporary sculptures added another layer to the audience’s experience. It played
with multiple facets of perspective—from how people perceive the work itself to their individual preferences, whether
they liked it or not.

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