The bird people – artistic work and development of an exhibition, which explores regenerating cultural and generational relationships

Application summary

This 3-year artistic work allows me to develop my exhibition ‘the bird people.' I explore themes of generational repair and cultural identity using different material such as clay, charcoal and cassette tapes. Unresolved grief is the epicenter around which this project revolves, as I explore personal histories and how these were impacted by political crises, imperialism and socio-economic challenges. I confront separation and identity loss by regular travel to Korea and Ethiopia in specific months - a schedule which also acts as seasons of migration. In each trip I am collecting audio of song, prayer and conversations. I also learn Korean and Amharic languages to bridge the distance with family and localities. The exhibition consists of a painting series, a sound and scultpure installation and poetry events. Painting with clay and charcoal onto a cotton canvas, creates a sepia effect invoking a sense of temporality. Similarly the sculptures for the installation act as guardians of the exhibition space - modern relics reminding us that history is not only what is passed but also what is being formed. 2 paintings are made in Finland in between these travels using wild clay from here to depict scenes where cultural holidays such as lunar new year are shared amongst friends. We are the borderless landscape expressed in my artworks and I want to document how this meeting of worlds can exist in the Finnish context. There is a juxtaposition between the artworks and the travel as they represent movement and stillness. As a part of each exhibition, public events are organized for collective expression and forming temporary communities.