Vessel for Identity

Fourth year. Here we go.

As last year, the semester started with a transition project that would be exhibited to present our intentions and themes for this final year before graduation.

First of all, I chose wood. This is the material I am most interested in, and hope to direct my practice through the exploration of this medium. Alongside this, I need to write a dissertation. Definitely, the thing I have been dreading the most. However, I have my theme sorted (no specific question yet) which is identifying the importance placed on nationality within self-identification (identity). It is a theme that has appeared many of times within my practice over the years, as I am an immigrant that has lived over 17 years in the UK and yet still has a strong connection and relationship with Poland, the country I am from.

Despite wanting to use a chainsaw and chisels as my main processes for sculpting this semester I am still waiting on getting the tools I need (maybe more on this topic in the future, as it’s not as easy as it seems to get a chainsaw and permission to use it on school grounds as it seems). Therefore, I took willow branches, soaked them in water, shaped them and connected them with wire to a wooden frame (spine) that I made out of branches found outside the studio. The purpose of this piece is to present the theme of identity. It is a figure but not filled, not fully formed, it is empty or just shows what else there is to a person other than the physical.

The next time I write, it will be (once again) when I will be procrastinating from doing research and writing my dissertation.

PA!

Gabi