Belonging
Ann Williams-Fitzgerald [Curator]
As I reflect on my own sense of belonging, I realise that I have always felt a sense of disconnection from my Polish heritage, not quite knowing who I was or where I was from. A little like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Many of us derive our sense of belonging from our families, our workplaces and ancestral heritages.
I can recall as a child, my own sense of never quite belonging anywhere. While I can be self-confident and flexible, my sense of belonging tends to be tenuous at times.
As a practising visual artist, independent curator and published author, my interests are multi-faceted and I work across all media. My art is an attempt to allow the image to make itself clear with minimal influence of the mind, by a process of being still and receptive to what it is that wants to be captured.
I have always been passionate about making my art. I use the journey of artistic expression as a doorway inwards. Uncovering ever deepening ways of ‘being’ into the experience of life, transmitting to the viewer the sublime metaphors through symbols, colour and rich backgrounds. I draw inspiration from my intuition and interpretation on life experience. My work crosses over into abstract expressionism and minimalism.
My current work focuses on exploring deep-buried emotions relating to family connections, body image and bloodlines. Issues such as heritage, roots, connectedness, sense of place and belonging. My father, who was a Polish gypsy, spent over four years in a number of German POW camps during WWII, including 3 years in the dreaded Auschwitz Concentration Camp [Nazi Death Camp] before being moved to Neckargerach. On 4th April 1945 after a three-day odyssey on a train to Dachau, the prisoners were liberated by the US-Army in Osterburken. After being liberated he left behind the turmoil of war-torn Europe and travelled to Australia as a displaced person [refugee] in 1951 and settled in the farthest corner of the world, in Tasmania.
For me, my multicultural work is an important step in recognizing, valuing and understanding our cultural diversity. The work aims to highlight that we all have a rich and diverse heritage; and we all have a cultural background that is worth acknowledging and sharing with each other. It is through the language of art that we can express, enjoy and value each others identity and recognise that we all have a role to play in ensuring the wellbeing, contribution and participation of people in our community.
back to RAWO7 Belonging Exhibition page
© Copyright 2007. All images contained within this website are protected under Australian Copyright Law,
and as such may not, under any circumstances be copied, used, or reproduced without permission. For
further information regarding the copyright restrictions of these images contact Auz Vizions Photographics.
|
|
