Arts Practice

You cannot trust the open sky*

I grew up thinking the Palestinian people were bad, especially when bombarded by mainstream media and western leaders’ firm embrace of the occupiers, Israel.  I learned that the IDF were known as the strongest and lethal army in the world, but that was good because the Palestinians were all Hamas terrorists, right? This brainwashing rhetoric and my unquestioning behaviour when it came to Israel lasted much of my adult life, until now. With the horror live streamed on my phone every day, knowledge has become democratic. I have researched and read, watched speeches and sourced alternative journalism and academics to reverse decades of complacency and ignorant thought to create a body of work about the ongoing genocide and barbarity in Gaza by Netanyahu the IOF. This body of work includes several works created as a response to feeling helpless and powerless to change the inhumane narrative of the genocide in Gaza. I hope to create a resonance with these artworks to create a sense of shared understanding, emotion, or motivation and to influence public opinion to shape cultural narratives about colonisation and power.

I have listed the amount I will donate from any print sales of this work to UNHCR and it will be done in your name.

*this phrase by Suheir Hammad, an American Palestinian, Muslim poet.

A Meditation Of Death

“A Meditation of Death” invites viewers to contemplate the profound impact of conflict through a poignant marriage of technique and symbolism. Comprising 12 8x10” lumen prints, this body of work employs a meditative process. I have made a stencil by piercing approximately 2000 tiny holes into black card. That card is then placed over light-sensitive photo paper and exposed in sunlight for up to 15 minutes or so. The result in each unique lumen print is a series of tiny minute shadows, resembling a starry constellation when printed. They transcend their aesthetic nature to convey a sombre narrative. Each piercing acts as like a personal active protest, when most of the global reaction to what is happening in Gaza, is completely inert.

The resulting lumen prints serve as a visual metaphor for the countless lives lost in Gaza, embracing the innocence of children, the vulnerability of babies, the resilience of women, and the sacrifice of men. Each of tiny dots on the photo paper bears witness to the human toll exacted by the on-going genocide, urging us to confront the harsh realities of our shared humanity.

Each lumen print is then photographed digitally and manipulated so that shadow becomes light, and light becomes dark. The dark now becomes night with a constellation of 24,000 little deaths (as of the 3rd January 2024 when this was made).

The conceptual foundation of “A Meditation of Death” draws inspiration from the Maranasati meditation, a contemplative practice centred on the inevitability of death. This meditation aligns with the artwork’s overarching theme, encouraging introspection on the consequences of humanity’s dark history of violence and the impermanence of life.

As an artist, my intent is to challenge the notion that war resolves anything; instead, it perpetuates cycles of suffering, breeding hate through acts of terror and barbarism. Through the delicate, labor-intensive process of creating the stencil and then each lumen print, “A Meditation of Death” seeks to evoke empathy, fostering a collective awareness that transcends borders and ideologies. It beckons viewers to reflect on the shared fragility of life and the urgent need for compassion in the face of profound loss.

A Meditation Of Death

1.4m x 60cm fine art print - Unframed $1640 incl GST. From the price of this artwork I will donate $500 to the UNHCR in your name.

Framed option available for Australian residents. $1980 incl GST + freight. From the price of this artwork I will donate $800 to the UNHCR in your name.