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Artist Statement
The word “authenticity” suggests a claim to stability, cohesion and truth. But like most concept words, the so-called centre remains elusive and debatable, and meaning can no more point to a singular fact. My work represents an investigation into the concept of authenticity, as an ideological construct that both dominant and subordinate cultures use to their own ends. It is a word that shapes cultural experience, and thus also shapes concepts and formation of identity.
In current work, I am investigating the dilemmas and codes that language creates through ethnicity and sub-culture. I am interested in how language becomes codified, where it creates barriers that allow for understanding within specific groups and communities. In particular, I am investigating how language can be altered and forgotten through the process of migration. Migration defines identity by highlighting transformation, the activity of becoming someone else through processes of loss and gain, forgetfulness and remembrance. Also I am interested in how lexicon becomes altered in slang and Pigeon English, where language itself is transformed, but still carries the same meaning. These investigations into culture have yielded several important questions that guide my work, most notably: who am I?