How Wild The Wind Blows, Acrylic and Tempera on Canvas, 48in x 48in, 2023
Did you hear the whistle, the Cuckoo from afar?
Sheltered in the trees, the wind blows hard
I Lost Something In The Hills, Acrylic and Tempera on Canvas, 36in x 48in, 2023
Down in the dell, up on the hill
Who knows when the light is gone from the field
Dream Your Dreams, Acrylic and Tempera on Canvas, 48in x 36in, 2023
Far far away, whispers could be heard
Mom sings alone, “Did you find a home?”
By The River, Acrylic and Tempera on Canvas, 48in x 48in, 2023
Long the river, far the tree
She was standing there, her roots were free
“How many borders do you have to cross to arrive at home?” asked Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos, whose films were dedicated to exploring the meaning of borders and belonging. It is commonly believed that the emotional dysphoria caused by immigration is primarily spurred on by geographical dislocation. For me this has never rung true: one could be born and raised in their own town and country, yet feel alienated from their surroundings. Crossing a borderline - whether it’s geopolitical or a personal threshold - is an indication of one's thirst to know the unknown; a quest for meaning within human existence. It requires the disruption of mental foundations and all structures of certainty that have been defined and formed across the labyrinth of time.
As a filmmaker and visual artist, immigration for me starts long before one dislocates physically from one place to another; an everyday existence filled with the turbulence of constant mental, physical, and emotional change is the true primer and incubator. It is a cycle made up of the birth and death of moments. In truth, immigration means leaving the roots of one’s unbreakable beliefs to venture out on a quest for cognition in an effort to confront the state of alienation from the self as it is from the world.
This collection of paintings, created using acrylic and tempera, explores the search for belonging despite cultural upheaval, questioning to what degree a sense of safety and identity can be achieved through examining one’s perception of home. It explores the undeniable visceral need for connectivity within humanity and the evolution of their emotional attachment to the land. How one’s search for home and belonging can be an alienating, yet transformative experience that transcends the physical realm.