Illuminations: Towards Abyssinia, comprises a series of photographic works that implicitly reference the life of poet Arthur Rimbaud. Here begins a journey of transformation inspired by his own, one of unrelenting reaction against established society. ’Abyssinia’ here is both state of mind and ultimate destination, the objective being to disappear, become the other.
The works conflate these references to literary biography with the photographer’s own autobiographical experience as a migrant.
Over a period of years she travelled extensively within Europe, always transient and itinerant, creating work that reflected the spectre of historical trauma that pervades it’s borders, and it’s impact upon personal identities — particularly those of women.
‘Towards Abyssinia’ represents an ellipsis within this narrative, one which tells of the current state of fractiousnessand uncertainty at play within Europe, and her personal experience of those events.
