Sothiou, 2017, From the series: Dwelling: in this space we breathe, Photograph, wet plate collodion tintype on metal 250 x 200 mm
Copyright © 2018 by Estate of Khadija Saye
Sunday 2nd April 11am -1pm
We will be discussing the themes in Khadija Saye's work with invited facilitators Kelly O'Brien (Artist, Educator, Researcher), Rider Shaffique (MC, lyricist, recording artist and photographer), Anna Gormley (visual researcher, educator and producer) and Ronnie McGrath (Writer, Artist, Lecturer).
Coffee and croissants available from cafe.
Khadija Saye: in this space we breathe, a portfolio of nine silkscreen prints by the late British-Gambian artist, is offered in support of the Estate of Khadija Saye and the Khadija Saye IntoArts Programme.
Tickets:
Pay What You Can
The series was created from a personal need for spiritual grounding after experiencing trauma. The search for what gives meaning to our lives and what we hold onto in times of despair and life changing challenges. We exist in the marriage of physical and spiritual remembrance. It’s in these spaces in which we identify with our physical and imagine bodies. Using myself as the subject, I felt it necessary to physically explore how trauma is embodied in the black experience. Whilst exploring the notions of spirituality and rituals, the process of image making became a ritual in itself.
The journey of making wet plate collodion tintypes is unique in the sense that no image can be replicated and the final outcome is out of the creator’s control. Within this process, you surrender yourself to the unknown, similar to what is required by all spiritual higher powers: surrendering and sacrifice. Each tintype has its own unique story to tell, a metaphor for our individual human spiritual journey. The process of submerging the collodion covered plate into a tank of silver nitrate, ignites memories of baptisms, the idea of purity and how we cleanse in order to be spiritually sound.
The application of the collodion transcends the photographic process, it is a reflection, physical manifestation of my relationship to the deep-rooted tradition of African spirituality. The laborious process involved with tintypes addresses the current disposable era where materials are rapidly produced and short lived. We forget to live through the moment, remain in the silence, and work on our internal connections.
Khadija Saye, Diaspora Pavilion catalogue
