According to Heidegger, the past reflects the choices and experiences one has accumulated, the present signifies the possibilities one is currently realizing, and the future embodies the possibilities one seeks to achieve, ultimately leading to the recognition of one’s mortality. This work metaphorically represents sound as human existence: past sounds reflect traces of past actions, present sounds represent the act of creation, and future sounds symbolize potential yet unrealized.

By engaging with these temporal layers, the audience, positioned as creators, actively explore their understanding of existence and temporality. The piece invites introspection on the fleeting nature of time and how self-awareness emerges through temporal experiences.

Drawing inspiration from the intergenerational bonds between women and the primordial stage of life, Pale Reflections explores connection, heritage, consciousness and oblivion.

Life begins in a pool of water. Five months before our mothers are born, the first sign of us is formed, an egg is formed. We exist in this pool with an unknown fate, this is when we first experience the reflections of our circumstances. Though we do not experience continuousness in this state, we still experience this state.

Reflections refer to ancestral bonds that transcend time, life, and sentience, manifesting as the reflections of each other we see within ourselves. As we connect with these reflections, we communicate with those who came before us.

The idea for the setup will be 2 speaker cones playing bass frequencies to vibrate leaves and twigs, and a cassette tape loop of field recordings, with the signal from the vibrating materials and loop being processed through a small pedal chain using contact microphones and a small mixer as to maintain the traditional “wall noise” roots. The setup will be placed underneath a plastic tarp in case of/in the hope of rain, and would ideally be placed underneath the window ledge in the garden so that the sounds dispersed are subtle enough to become a part of the atmosphere outside. I want to make it a goal to make the sound subtle enough to be ignored but present enough to be listened to, as I don’t want to make the garden less inhabitable while people are leaving to smoke, take phone calls, or anything like that, and rather to contribute to the surrounding environment.

solitary field chores

trudging about

the tree in the chimney

Steward is a black and white digital short film with accompanying minimalist sound collage, concerning the gathering of firewood; The base act of felling, cutting up and splitting a storm-downed birch to heat the home. Where my preceding ethnographic artwork examined workplace politics and manual labour, this tangential project exists on an altogether more solitary plane. I draw out an interrelatedness between rurality, necessary physical labour, agrarian land stewardship, fallible masculinity, privilege, pride and error.

In the unflattering, ordinary winter light work continues. Insistently, I use blunt hand tools; doggedly focused on the performance of hard work, however erroneous.

Two ends of the room are joined by several threads controlled by machines. The beats, melody, tempo, and other elements will lead the threads to begin moving like waves once the sound work begins. Since there is no music playing until the audience puts on headphones, this seems to be a live picture from a distance. But when audiences interact with the threads, they are able to observe and perceive the sound work like how 430 million members did. We can analyze and interpret the music and sound around us using a variety of senses, and still feel and appreciate the sound in different ways even if we are unable to hear it. Additionally, audiences could engage with the installation the second time with headphones to observe the differences in perceptions.

The installation aims to blend this ancient practice with contemporary sound art. It takes the form of an understated sculpture—a human head modeled after acupuncture diagrams. At first glance, it appears to be a simple sculpture, prompting only passing curiosity. However, this piece harbors a deeper complexity, embodying its own thoughts, emotions, and reflections.

The sculpture is designed to be interactive, equipped with a built-in microphone and speaker. When an audience produces a sound—whether speaking, clapping, or otherwise—the microphone captures it, processes it, and replays it with modulations. The interaction becomes more engaging as participants discover buttons placed on the acupuncture points of the head. These buttons allow users to apply different sound effects, representing the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and auditory stimuli.

The design’s subtlety invites exploration without demanding attention. It blends seamlessly into its environment, giving the impression of a simple sculptural object while quietly containing layers of meaning and interaction.

The installation is informed by Buddhist teachings and my personal spiritual practice, which emphasize that the world is a reflection of our inner selves. Buddhism posits that our perceptions of the external world are shaped by our inner thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This idea resonates with the philosophy of author Herta Müller, who suggests that facts are not objective; they are shaped and reframed by the narrator, then constrained within the limitations of language.

By creating a sculpture that “listens” and “responds,” I aim to encourage viewers to recognize that their perception of the piece—and by extension, the world—is a reflection of their inner state. The interplay of sound, interaction, and audience engagement illustrates how our inputs shape what we experience, reminding us of the subjective nature of reality.

This piece is intended to be subtle in its presence. It should not overwhelm or demand attention, but instead serve as a quiet, contemplative object. It could comfortably exist in a quiet corner of a gallery, encouraging viewers to interact on their terms.

Through this project, I hope to bridge ancient philosophies with contemporary art and technology, inviting audiences to explore the interplay between sound, self-reflection, and perception.

I will make a sculpture, which will primarily use clay to form many shapes on the outside, such as local African masks, and then place a water spray device inside, as well as a basin-shaped base at the bottom, so that when water is sprayed from the top, it is automatically sucked up from the bottom to form a circulation system. Then, in front of this artwork, I'll set up a projector to show the black and white silhouettes of local women that I filmed with their daily talking as the background. So this film will be projected onto the sculpture like a light.

Through a combination of sculptural form, water circulation, and video projection, the piece speaks to the intersection of tradition, suffering, resilience, and the silenced narratives of women in a context of societal and cultural challenges.

The sculpture, which features African-inspired clay masks, serves as both an aesthetic and symbolic representation of these women. The addition of a water circulation system within the sculpture’s structure, alongside the black-and-white projections of local women’s silhouettes, creates a poignant dialogue about cycles - of both life and suffering - hat transcend generations. Her Story seeks to shed light on these experiences, elevate the voices of these women, and challenge viewers to reflect on both the past and the present.

While creating ‘The Veiled Ensemble of Ours’, I always reflected on how, in an era where humanity and technology are deeply intertwined, art can illuminate the symbiotic relationships between humans, machines, and the natural world. This is not just an experiment in collaboration but also an exploration of beauty and harmony. The term ‘Veiled’ serves as a metaphor, representing things unseen or not yet understood—whether untapped human potential or the creativity that emerges as algorithms unfold. ‘Ensemble’ is not only about music but also about how creators with audience can resonate in real time, discovering new harmony in the diversity of sounds. The orchestra is the pinnacle of human collaboration that every musician and every instrument is an indispensable part of the whole. This piece seeks to integrate machines into this ‘orchestra’—not as tools but as partners and co-creators. The precision and efficiency of machines, combined with the complexity, subtlety, and spontaneity of human emotions, create a dialogue that feels entirely new.

As the creator of this piece, I also want to invite the audience to reflect: What kind of beauty might we discover when we experience the most natural and intuitive resonance with machines and with other people? I hope that ‘The Veiled Ensemble of Ours’ could not only be an engaging musical journey, but also sparks fresh inspiration and thoughts about creation itself.

Plan-B - Car Performance will be a musique concrete piece based on a performance done with a car. It is something of a diary entry from a time of instability and decay, when I was struggling to find somewhere to live and my car was falling apart, challenging my livelihood. The recording will be sounded through a uniquely designed speaker made from an old car suspension spring, giving voice to the inert materials present in the memory of that time. Using the brutal aesthetics of rough metal objects and curious recordings of an engine’s revolutions electrically amplified, the composition will intone the mood and atmosphere of displacement, unrest and oblivion.

With its sounding, resonant frequencies ring, and harmonics dance above a mirage of space and materiality.

An inversion of previous 8-channel spatial sound piece “The Arrhythmic Conception of Music (for Milford Graves)”, the work presents themes of improvisation, musical un-skill and what Stuart Schrader would coin as “shit-fi”. An itemised list of the cost of the installation’s individual elements is displayed in line with the £40 technical budget assigned to each individual artist. Reported in UAL’s Report and Financial Statements 31 July 2024, UAL generated £466.0m of income (2023: £425.4m) of which, >80% comes from tuition fees.

Attendees are invited to touch (and therefore play) the instrument in whatever way they wish.

Drawing inspiration from the intergenerational bonds between women and the primordial stage of life, Pale Reflections explores connection, heritage, consciousness and oblivion.  Life begins in a pool of water and is where we first experience the reflections of our circumstances. Reflections become a way to maintain relationships beyond life and consciousness, the parts of each other we see within ourselves become our primary relationship with one another.

solitary field chores

trudging about

the tree in the chimney

Steward is a black and white digital short film with accompanying minimalist sound collage, concerning the gathering of firewood; The base act of felling, cutting up and splitting a storm-downed birch to heat the home. Where my preceding ethnographic artwork examined workplace politics and manual labour, this tangential project exists on an altogether more solitary plane. I draw out an interrelatedness between rurality, necessary physical labour, agrarian land stewardship, fallible masculinity, privilege, pride and error.

In the unflattering, ordinary winter light work continues. Insistently, I use blunt hand tools; doggedly focused on the performance of hard work, however erroneous.

DESIGNED TO EXPOSE THE LIMINALITY OF PROJECTED PLEASURE INTO NON-HUMAN ENTITIES. MACHINE RELICS HOLD ECHOES OF ACCUMULATED DESIRE, FANTASY, PLEASURE, AND PAIN. THE FIRST MOMENT OF CONTACT WITH MACHINE CONTROL IS PURE POTENTIALITY. IT IS A STREAM OF ENERGY THAT IS OMNIPRESENT AND FOREVER OUT OF OUR REACH.

Rooted in Buddhist philosophy and personal spiritual practice, the installation explores the idea that our perception of the world is a reflection of our inner state. Drawing from Herta Müller’s notion that facts are shaped by the narrator, the piece invites audiences to reflect on how their actions and emotions shape their experience of reality. Subtle yet thought-provoking, the work encourages quiet introspection while blending ancient wisdom with contemporary sound art.