artist statement
I am a performance artist and writer with a background in Sociology and Urban Studies. My artistic practice stems from avant-garde cabaret - a type of performative engagement which brings together a variety of theatrical genres and includes music, singing, acting, dancing, and monologue. My interest in humanities influences my performative practice and I like to explore themes of gender, identity, belonging, states of being and the Anthropocene, through animal archetypes. In the past, I have performed as a jealous horse, a homeless snail, a disorientated moth, an intrusive fly, and an obedient dog. Although seemingly light-hearted, my performances use dark humor to satirize and illuminate social identity.
I am greatly inspired by animals as I find that through creating animal monologues, I am developing a new form of storytelling. Animals are submissive to people and I believe power relationships that exist amongst humans can be well represented and embodied through animal ethics. I find it fascinating how animals are often used in children’s stories to teach them what it means to be moral (eg. Three Little Pigs, Fox and Turtle). People have learned to trust and associate with animals from an early age. I use this to establish a sense of trust with my audience. The outcome of this particular bond results in a process of re-writing children’s animal stories through an adult perspective, bringing social issues to surface. I use my practice to politically engage with myself and the audience.
Strong imagery, language and costume are key to my practice. As a female performer who attempts to embody unusual animal archetypes on stage I ask the question “Why can’t feminine, be portraying traditional masculine animalistic?" Using elements of burlesque and outfits that strongly emphasize the female form, I aim to break boundaries of subjectivity and gender classification using my body. My work explores how much we are willing to sacrifice to establish a sense of belonging.
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I am also interested in the Anthropocene and what the psychological consequences are of destroying our environment. Through my installations, I create sombre, dark and lonely environments where I invite the audience to reflect on the organic loss and decay we, as humans are responsible for.
The convergence between reality and fiction is a place where I find my voice and where I am able to ask questions. I aim to engage with the audience in a way that sparks curiosity and debate. My work doesn’t seek to answer questions but rather pose questions by embodying them.