Artist walk through
Lower World Immersion: Film Collaboration (2024) Installed in the Copeland Gallery
London, Digital Film, 23 x 13″ monitor
Set in Osterley, West London, this film explores the depths of embodied trauma on personal and collective levels.
Through my collaboration with Anthony Newman, our shared understanding of memory and brain injuries deepened our artistic connection.
Working intuitively, our collaborative efforts transformed my once-private ritual into a compelling story encapsulating transformation and interconnectedness. Anthony’s digital art expertise and empathetic approach allowed him to craft unique elements from my movements, creating a narrative that invites audiences to engage with the significance of embracing emotions and the healing power of artistic expression.
Throughout the project, I entered the subconscious realm, highlighting the potential of surrendering to our inner selves and the stories that emerge. It is a testament to the transformative power of ritual and its ability to foster a deeper connection with our experiences.
Reflections on the Copeland Gallery Exhibition
I recently had the opportunity to participate in an exhibition at the Copeland Gallery, where I presented a variety of my works. This included a film mentioned earlier, and a collection of 10 x 8″ self-portraits from 2014, titled: Mistaken identity fantasy and lies; displayed in a cross formation, alongside a set from 2023, which are part of my ongoing “Ritual Project.”
Over the past two to three years, my work has focused on collaborating with natural elements such as wind and water. The film collaboration resonates with these themes and further explores the concepts of memory and bodily narratives.
At the exhibition, I shared two other works. A pair of 18×18 inch prints on perspex titled: Conflict, Patterns, and Repetition (1999) Lastly a collection of four 18 x 12 digital prints, visible on the far back wall in the image above, (enlarged below) were taken in Turkey last year and titled “Restricted Breath – Sacred Immersion.” They represent a small portion of the photographic side of the project and film exploration undertaken prior to the film’s creation.
Before the film collaboration, I documented various water rituals performed during sacred times. These intuitively created rituals allowed my body narrative to unfold, practicing deep listening. Although I don’t always know what will emerge, sometimes I become lost in my subconscious, resulting in a profoundly awakening experience.
Sharing my artistic journey and motivations behind these works during a talk at the exhibition helped the audience better understand my inner world and the emotions tied to my creations. Personal and collective memory of traumatic experiences are key themes in my work, and I’m beginning to open up about these challenging aspects.
A portrait of my friend and fellow artist Yasmin Noorbakhsh with her mixed media installation for the exhibition titled: Ai playing in the garden of eden. Please visit https://yasminnoorbakhsh.com to see more of Yasmins Artwork.
