I am fascinated by the way our thoughts and actions are shaped by history, not just our own but also that of those who came before us. The culture we are raised in, books that we read, specific lived events – human minds are shaped by context. This allows for personal connection, innovation, great works of art. But it can also have negative effects, from mental illness all the way to large-scale conflict and collective trauma.

The past reaches into the future through our minds. I have thought about how this happens in the context of environmental governance and, more personally, in trying to understand my own mind and its tendency to fall into spirals of anxiety. Most recently, it has come into focus through the death of my mother, and the sorting of photographs and documents this brought.

This body of work is still in its early stages, but some of it was displayed at Gage Gallery from May 30 to June 18, 2023.