Reflection– on self

Artist’s Reflection– When Kanta Box Kamra (2014) & KANTA portraits (2017) project started out searching for concepts of identity, little was known of the outcome or the expectations of what will be found. Many of the processes and methodology were developed organically from the experiences and circumstances. The journey has been very revealing and challenging; physically, mentally and spiritually. Being in both local and foreign countries, understanding the social construct of how states project and form social strata, leading to which are the circumstances we are found in and responding to.

Indigenous groups and tribespeople have always been living in-between or at the crossroads between their existence and the ‘known world’. Identity therefore becomes the need to define, to be ‘known’, and to a certain extent, to conform, assimilate, integrate or be restricted and contained. Building archetypes as references to a structure of the human condition, the known world we live in has disabled and enabled the way we define and identify ourselves, either from our inherent past, genealogy, geospatial, polities. Understanding their predicament, is in a way to see our past and foresee a future.

Experiencing these conditions and circumstances from the studies and field trips, I have developed my thinking and understanding on the subject of identity. At this moment, I am still researching and reflecting. With time, I hope to either produce artworks or a publication on the experiences. (Taken from Cendana final Milestone report May 2019. edited).