darkwood

Darkwood is an ongoing project which seeks disruptions and disturbances in nature. Elements that protrude, overhang, are fallen or take over, things that appear alien, even if part of nature’s course. Within the sanctity of the forest, this peaceful environment is haunted by ancestral trees, yet permeated with the anticipation of rejuvenation.

The focus on trees and roots is significant in its iconography. The concealed complexity of the roots system, entangling that urge to create and produce, only to be overwhelmed by a sense of self-doubt and inadequacy. When researching and scouting for locations, the poet Sylvia Plath’s continuous references to trees came to mind. In her work, she uses trees as a metaphor for expressing her stifle of being a female artists, which was at the time seen as ‘unnatural’, as she was often held up in light of male poets, when spoken of.
So although this project speaks to outdated perceptions of female artists, it still anticipates contemporary issues of feminism, while also addressing the integrity and self-sustainability of nature. It looks at various physical transformations, where contrary aesthetics do not signify a clash, but rather a complimentary living environment where nature thrives and is in constant state of rejuvenation and rebirth.