Brick Wall

source: shivashtie-artcouk

Ever since I can remember I have had an interest in people and behaviour, which lead me towards studies and a career in psychology. The career was put to one side when I had children and decided to invest my time with them. The career is now a distant memory but the interest in people and the desire to create is persistent.

I am intrigued by the way our experiences affect the way we see the world and the way we think. I am fascinated by the inner mind and how this part of us can be so secretive and private and yet play such a powerful role in our lives. And I am curious about the way we can all live together (or not) and achieve a level of communication despite the very unique and individual ways that we perceive and interpret the world around us.

Much of my work has a figurative element to it, using the human form for direct visual communication. Other pieces tend towards abstraction, allowing freer, individual interpretation, introspection and debate.

Much of my work explores materials and textures in ways that use the innate quality of the material, for example, my use of brick as a metaphor for the brick walls we have within. Indeed the relationship between form, surface, texture and materials is a constant and exciting challenge, which provides a wealth of opportunity to explore and experiment.

Much of my work is intuitive and a response to the materials at hand, which allows for a freedom in making and direction. I hope you enjoy exploring my work.

Shivashtie
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source: shivashtie-artcouk

I am intrigued by the inner mind and how our inner world affects our interpretation of the outer world; for me the inner mind is a place of alchemy where experiences, thoughts, reasoning, emotions, and knowledge melt together to create our uniqueness.

My foray into the inner mind, the conscious and unconscious self, begins for me, with the head – it is where I place the inner mind and where I feel it belongs. Hence I use the head as a vehicle for exploring issues surrounding our uniqueness and individuality, from the private reality that exists within each of us to the public face on show for everyone.

I am also interested in the way our experiences shape our way of thinking and dealing with ourselves and the world around us. I use the figure to express qualities of character that derive from our experiences and our ways of seeing the world. Inevitably I draw upon personal experiences which have shaped my own unique view of the world. For example the ‘Survival Series’ explores how experiences of tragedy, illness, weakness can undermine our self and leave us feeling less than whole, and yet the remaining self can still demand attention and achieve an unique inner beauty, strength and understanding.

My intention is not to dictate but to provide a tool for introspection and deliberation and for us to become more aware of our inner realities and our responses to experiences and the world around us.

Shivashtie Poonwassie