Olana Light
Search to Belong
Wearable Sculpture
2021
Inspired by nature, identity, and a desire to take art to the people, I construct immersive, other-worldly installations and wearable sculptures that are designed to disorientate the viewer.
They are mythical representations of my worldview: creatures that are neither human nor alien, real nor imaginary. These strange environments and tactile costumes bend the fragile boundaries of our perceived realities.
My practice moves between sculpture, performance, photography, and the moving image, and reflects the multiplicities of identity and a never-ending pursuit of belonging that are close to my own heart.
Exploring notions of ‘self’, and its connection with the body and nature, my work offers new perceptions by challenging audiences to accept the absurdity of the ‘other’, to question their beliefs, and to interrogate their own sense of belonging.
I seek to create a dialogue for change: about nature and our relationship with it; about who we are and why we might fear others; and about why art is and should be for everyone to access.
Viewers are invited to observe the story of human-like creatures blending with their natural environment to create a ‘we-world’ – an inclusive environment at the intersection of all systems, a realm in which everyone belongs.
