Poetics of Relation

“My abstract work employs poetics; the expression of emotion through colour, form and mark-making and process to explore ideas. Beneath that lies a web of questions and an avid curiosity about our world and the interconnected nature of all things. The works in Poetics of Relation ask questions about the nature of human relationships. It is primarily concerned with investigating the conditions needed for building successful personal relationships including friendships, creative relationships and partnerships of all kinds it also asks how we can be in relation with others with whom we share little in common but our shared humanity. In a time of global fracture, violence and uncertainty the importance of developing an ethic of care for others is more important than ever if we are to find a way to build communities where no one is left behind. Thinkers I engaged with while making these works included Hannah Arendt, Edouard Glissant, bell hooks, Emmanuel Levinas, Audrey Lorde and Fred Moton. Musicians who fed my creative process included Alice Coltrane, Meshell Ndegocello, Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and more.” Rachel Joy.