ARTIST STATEMENT:
My artistic practice is exploratory and playful. I produce sculptural works that propose curious and whimsical physicalities. My work interrogates space and depicts liminal spaces between the bodily and immaterial. Phenomenology has become integral to my work, giving a framework to consider physicality and subjective experiences. My proposed residency uses this interest in space, to explore intimacy and awkwardness with fabric manipulation and sewing techniques. Combining amateur skills with candid language as a vehicle for humour and accessibility is exciting to me. The possibilities of experimentation will expand my current process-based practice, into a direction that hypothesizes three-dimensional forms, and values this curiosity without needing an instant rationale. Researching contemporary artists who create soft sculptures and quilts will broaden my conceptual understanding of fabric as a carrier of meaning. I will then be able to make more informed and specific decisions in my process, while still prioritizing whimsy and curiosity.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:
I make work intuitively, so creativity can function as a haven and a tool to better understand myself. Participating in the Hear/d Residency at AUArts in 2020/2021 is a significant accomplishment I have achieved. Weekly mental wellness check-ins with peers, as well as professional development workshops and an online group exhibition, gave me the confidence and resources to grow an artist practice that honours my needs. The community made in the residency empowered me to get assessed for ADHD. Since being diagnosed, I have been tailoring my creative process to best accommodate my neurodivergence. Surrendering to curiosity and play have been key roles in this. Being transparent about my mental health in my art became a place of connection with the artists around me, and so I want to honour ADHD as a constant undercurrent in my work.
Instagram: @camrynland_