Tell us about yourself.
Currently, I am in my third and final year of studying visual art at QUT; and a little terrified/devastated for it to end. I am also a Leo, I worship beige and may or may not be a bit of a trash hoarder… There is such under appreciated + unsettling beauty in debris. This ---> ⚔️ is currently my favourite emoji.
Describe your practice.
Often, I frame my practice as my ‘religion’ or ‘faith’. Spirituality and girlhood are combined to form my understanding and comprehension of the world and void around me. Recently I’ve become aware of how the everyday is a constructed yet unacknowledged worship. To create my faith I use a very specific, intentional colour palette and draw upon my own library of symbols/imagery, developed through found object and intuition. Collage appears across all mediums in my practice, as a reflection of my own attempt to piece together the fragmented narratives from my childhood, my girlhood and my online experience. I also love to work with soft sculpture and interactive installations; tactility being a core element to encourage audience engagement.
What other artists and contexts inform your work?
Unmonumental sculpture has been extremely influential upon my practice, as I have become enamoured with the work of Rachel Harrison and Alexandra Bircken. The virtual realm and the feminine experience of it is particularly relevant also, informed by Anicka Yi and Nobuko Tsuchiya’s idiosyncratic installations. Branches of new-age spirituality have left their imprint on my conceptual rationalisations, most notably the author Richard Bach.
What inspires you?
Lately in this bizarre, halted world I have been inspired by rather trifling things. Roasting pumpkin seeds felt revolutionary. Rediscovering a brilliant pen. The nonsense of YouTube video comments, or any unfiltered online comments section. Glowing windows from the sun in the day and from fairy lights in the night. Rereading books that left an impression on my developing brain. Being able to always walk at a leisurely pace. Isolation induced self-realisations. Yearning. Grocery shopping.
How has being in isolation impacted your artmaking?
Truthfully it has hindered my progress a lot. Not being able to access spaces and face-to-face interaction is really difficult for my practice as I intended to focus on creating interactive sculptures/installations. However, the challenge of predominantly making work from home has been an enriching process. I do appreciate my alone time yet I find it really easy to stagnate… It has been a varying experience that I have definitely learnt from - I would like to go back to the studio now.
How did you translate your practice to the digital sphere?
As my work is usually quite tactile I had to consider how I could potentially translate such physical qualities into a digital realm. Making work for an online environment was something I have always done casually and was able to explore in a more intentional context with Concrete Circle. Utilising scanners as a way of capturing texture was a key element/tool of the work I present in Ether; there is just something about its ghostly quality!
the most awe-inspiring mushroom ive seen!
See more of Zara's work on her website
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