Kangaroo Island is hurting right now, the bush fires ravaged its land and devastated its whole community. As a past Island resident, this was a unique opportunity to immerse myself back in the Island culture to observe, discuss, and research the effect of this natural disaster on its regional community. This residency provided room for timely conversations, regular informal local artist exchanges, working with local schools, and community engagement. I was mostly excited by the challenge of reaching out and touching the whole community through art making!
I primarily work site specifically, building installations experientially that modify space and comment on our past histories. I am fascinated with materials that come from the landscape; that wear the landscape embedded in their surface. I find myself constantly drawn to regional Australia, emotively responding to these lived experiences.
Out of the Ashes II and III
2020
Ash and rust from 2019/2020 Kangaroo Island bushfires
Photographer Grant Hancock