"WAX SUBSTANCES"
“control laboratories”
“griffes”
my solo pieces for the exhibition in Paris explored the grief of losing a past version of oneself. Like a candle that melts, and creates beautiful shapes with its castings, we also take new shapes as life sculpts us into who we will become.
The candle no longer retains it’s rigid form, and it might also lose it’s wick, but the result of it’s melting is still the same wax - now free, wild and beautiful.
Presented in 3 pieces, “small change of substance”, “large change of substance” and “rough shift”, this mini collection speaks to the challenges of letting go of the past—without denying the formative experiences that reside within it.
This collaborative piece between myself, artist Mercurial Pearl and Creative Scientist Rodrigo Scopel, touches on the human need to seek control over oneself - especially during distressful times.
the object that serves as a base for this installation is a 1960’s Oscilloscope, originally used for measuring and tracking electrical signals. We transformed this device into a metaphorical machine that allows the controller to manipulate their own feelings and senses; making tangible the desire for forced self-regulation.
with this apparatus from the imaginary “control Laboratories”, the user can turn their spirits from low to high, dim their fear and speed up grieving days - among other adjustments we might wish to make when the world becomes a bit too overwhelming.
This collaborative piece came to life from the play on the words grief and “griffes” (claws, in french). It tells two tales, captured by a collection of digital photographs and sculptural pieces.
Both trivialized and obsessed over, painted nails and acrylics serve many as tiny canvases for self-expression. Yet anyone who’s broken a nail or struggled with extravagant extensions, can relate to the pain and frustration that ensues. Just as we cannot directly experience the tactile sensation of someone else’s nails, we cannot truly comprehend another person’s grief.
The first story explores how one moves through the world with the burden of “griffes”; the second, conveys The grief of a broken nail - broken by a nail. Both concepts draw parallels with how individuals navigate (or avoid) grief.