Growing up amidst multiple cultures, without a clear sense of belonging, I found solace in the idea that we are an embodiment of memories, be they collective or familial. Existing within a post-colonial context, my family and I belong to what Édouard Glissant describes as a cultural ’rhizome'. Without always knowing it, we carry memories, or ghosts, of those who came before us. We are shaped by our ancestors and the constant blending of their cultures.My oil paintings, illustrations, printmaking and material research attempt to unearth these links. I aim to find a way to give these ghosts a place to exist in the physical world and highlight their omnipresence within each of our existences. Throughout my research and experimentation, a question persisted: Why do I choose to paint what I do?Perhaps it’s an unconscious attempt to reconcile my fragmented sense of self, to bridge gaps within my identity. Or maybe it’s my way of confronting the ghosts I carry, allowing them to speak through my hands.My art seeks to exist as an ongoing dialogue: between past and present, process and intention. Ultimately, it is an offering, an attempt to honour my memories (and those intertwined within them).
