IB VISUAL ARTS 2025

CARA

Curatorial Rationale

My body of work aims to treat the many layers in the relationship between humanity and the sea. Through blending seawater elements with human anatomy, the complex nature of this connection is explored. Mirroring my own love for the sea, this exhibition captures the concepts of coexistence, harmony and conflict. These three focuses are central and aid in unpacking the greater idea. The physical similarities of how the sea can manifest on the human form and vice versa are intricately explored through the use of colour, motifs and symbols. Fuelling my fascination towards the sea is the island and fishing background of my ancestors, paired with my own upbringing, where I was always in close proximity to the ocean. The ever-changing state of the ocean and how it can be simultaneously chaotic and peaceful fascinates me and is captured in my work. 

Through the use of repeated textures, colours and symbols in both my three-dimensional and two-dimensional works, coherence is established and my subject matter are interlinked. Much of the surrealist imagery, such as the tentacles intertwined with the chambers of the heart in Sea Heart, are inspired by Salvador Dali. My crocheted textile, Undertow, is inspired by Gabrielle Meyers and suggests the complexity of the sea and its unpredictable form. The hyperbolic form of the piece and its multiple viewing angles suggest ever-changing tide movements. The abstract nature of this sculpture and the watercolour painting Grounded capture the intricacies of sea water, loosely inspired by First Nations artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri through the use of fine lines. These abstracted works juxtapose with the surrealist imagery of Harmony, inspired by figurative painter Prudence Flint and Sea Heart. 

The ceramic sculptures show human anatomy merged with sea elements. This depicts the interconnectedness between humans and the ocean. Synapse shares similarities in its structure to “Diploria labyrinthiformis”, a type of coral. The makeup of sea structures, such as coral, are surprisingly similar to human anatomy. I was inspired by the conceptual and technical aspects shown through the edible sugar exhibition depicting coral and sealife by Ken and Julia Yonetani. This exhibition shares both contextual and physical similarities to my own work. 

The garment Drowning is inspired by the irregular nature of Iris Van Herpen’s designs. This artwork focuses on the struggle of the relationship between humanity and the sea, as it can provide bliss and harmony to many or instil fear and take human life. The skirt depicts a jellyfish with the hyperbolic crochet merging human form with sea life structure. The resin corset serves as a depiction of water manifesting on and engulfing a human form, which connotes the ocean’s discrete violence.  

The oil painting Indulgence grapples with a related concept, depicting the subtle power sealife holds over us as intruders. This further critiques the idea of humankind's over-consumption and pursuit towards intoxicating greed.

I have incorporated shared symbols of meaning in the works to help convey a central message. My works all incorporate a motif of the human form and the ocean with pearls, tentacles and sea life to create cohesion in the exhibition. Tentacles represent the grasp and power that the ocean holds on humans, whilst symbols such as pearls allude to the beauty that can erupt from a harmonious relationship. Furthermore, the human body is approximately sixty percent water, and this idea is incorporated through gloss and resin coats to create a wet illusion in my display. 

I feel connected to three-dimensional art forms as each angle provides the work with a different perspective. This allows for an interactive display and holds the message that the sea isn't stationary but ever-changing, similar to our relationship with it. In order to allow for this, I have displayed my works on plinths that invite the viewer to take in multiple angles. The physiological similarities between human form and ocean life with exposed body parts confront viewers and provide them with a sense of uneasiness. My exhibition aims to evoke feelings of both peace and discomfort with contrasting ideas captured in different works.