PHOTOGRAPHY SHOP

BACK TO JOURNAL

PHOTOGRAPHY & PRINT FAIR

How would you introduce yourself to the Cluster readers?

 I am a photographer who creates work about issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality through self-portraiture.

How did you get here on your creative journey?

I came across the Cluster Photography Residency
while I was searching for creative jobs and artist residencies.
I thought the opportunity was far too good to pass up.
I applied and was lucky enough to be shortlisted!

What drew you to photography?

I’ve been interested in photography from a young age. I think I like it so much because I can create
both surreal and realistic images. Also, photography helps me to create an image that matches
exactly what I had in my imagination.

Tell us about the work you submitted…

 Artefacts from Reclamation of the Exposition was part of my degree show series.
It explores the commodification, fetishisation and sexualisation of the black female body, specifically through the human displays in ethnographic expositions
in the 18th and 19th centuries. The work is influenced by ethnographic
photographs which were circulated as pornography.

Lady (1840) was created in response to portraits hung around a Victorian home called Hospitalfield in Arbroath. It’s a 19th Century-style photographic self-portrait displayed
on a light-box which was hung in the portrait room. Lady (1840) starkly contrasted
the portraits that surrounded it; a photograph of a black woman hung among oil paintings of white males.

How would you describe your creative style
and way of working?

 I’d say that it’s a combination of contemporary and historical art motifs.
I use a methodical process of shooting different poses and then messing around with them in Photoshop to create an image
I like that communicates what I want to talk about.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Either, a long to-do list that was made the night before
or a sunny day.

Social media and you: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Tell us all…

I show a lot of my work on Instagram. It makes it very easy for people
to see my work, especially during lockdown when galleries are closed. It’s definitely helped expand my reach to other parts of the country
and abroad. It’s also good for discovering new artists and helping
with research. I have to be careful, however,
not to get stuck in a cycle of endless scrolling. It’s so easy to do.

What’s on your creative calendar for the near future?

 I have an exhibition coming up in Perth Museum called Mis(sing) Information.
The exhibition, curated by Saorise Amira Anis, will feature four black artists
and will offer an alternative picture of colonial relations to the one which is often
projected by British museums. It will attempt to centre human experience
in the story of colonial acquisition.

Tips, tricks and secrets for making it in the art world?

 I think it’s definitely important to recognise your value as an artist
and maker. Make sure you don’t undersell yourself and don’t be afraid
to ask for advice from your colleagues