Michaelis Graduate Exhibition

The personal journey of my practice has led to the rediscovery and healing of self, rooted in reconnecting with my inner child. A child who was once unburdened, playful and untouched by the weighing expectations of the world around her. I returned to this forgotten self, not to reclaim lost innocence, but to heal what the fabrics of time have frayed.

Through distressed fabrics and plaster, creating tension between fragility and resilience, much like the delicate balance of life. Plaster, with its ability to crack and endure, mirrors the processing of trauma and healing – allowing for beauty to shine through the imperfections. Fabrics, soft yet unravelling, as the tender, ephemeral nature of memory of her, forever tangled and elusive. The fabrics and plaster merge into the revisited forts of my childhood – a sanctuary for imagination and safety.

The white plaster-covered childhood toys, once vessels of play and innocence, now stand as relics of a past encased in time. These objects, blur the line between protection and suffocation, capturing the tension of preserving the past while striving to release its hold. They evoke the spaces of play and safety where my inner child once roamed freely, at the same time giving my present self the opportunity for acceptance and peace. Embodying my search for an understanding of self, in a space where the past and present can coexist.

Through the imperfections and fractures of time, I find strength – unravelling and remaking myself with each piece. In this delicate space, I embrace the journey of becoming, where the threads of childhood and adulthood intertwine, offering healing and rebirth.