Artist’s Statement

The way in which we as a society treat the ‘other’ acts as a looking glass into the very essence of who we are.

Queer folk, Women, Immigrants, Disabled people, POC. It’s impossible to ignore the targets placed on the backs of many by Populists and Oligarchs. My work focuses on The experience I have as a Trans Woman in the hope that I can re-humanise the ‘other’. And ultimately, redirect that social stigma toward those who intend to divide us.

I started this process in 2022 with my Undergraduate Exhibition entitled ‘Translucent’ (see more),however this really only captured my experience in very broad strokes, hence the title ‘Translucent’. A looking glass yes, but still a hazy one.

My current plans for future exhibitions intend to refine this focus and look at individual aspects of my personal experience. I intend to hold up a mirror to the discomfort I feel on a frequent basis from prying questions and hidden gazes about my own body and redirect that to the viewer.

Art does not need to be comfortable to look at , it simply needs to evoke something, and I’ve found that unease is a remarkably potent feeling. If I’m able to tap into this I hope that it will lead to a degree of self reflection in the viewer and perhaps a greater understanding of their own biases and actions.

Once an individual has started to see another as an ‘other’ it’s remarkably difficult to rebuild that connection. We see this almost everyday in the news, ‘Us vs Them’ has been a tool of those who would prefer us to fight each other rather than have us step back and analyse the true causes of discontent. I believe that Art can be a tool to re-build these social bonds and suture society.

Art is a powerful tool, both silent and loud, and when wielded correctly can open discussion and bring people closer together.

That is what I want to do as an artist, I want to bring people together, to de-other, and de-construct prejudices through sharing my own lived experience and the experiences of others through my work.