Vivian Hansbury's work is a poignant exploration of our connection to the physical and social environment, memory, and the shifting nature of remembering. Her art explores deep into the bog landscape of her childhood, creating a profound connection with her roots. Let us take a closer look at her artistic journey.
The woman behind the art exhibition.
Vivian Hansbury's work delves deeply into the intricate dynamics of our connection to the world, both physically and socially. It also explores the elusive nature of memory and the fluidity of recollection. Her art journeys over a realm of emotion like those explored by other notable artists such as the poet Seamus Heaney and Joseph Beuys, who also assign mythic and symbolic significance to bogs and peatlands. For Hansbury, the bog becomes a symbol of submerged memories and experiences buried deep within the unconscious. She is repeatedly drawn to the imagery of the bog landscape from her childhood, a place that holds a profound emotional tie and a sense of not belonging.
In ‘Bahi Kubo,' she weaves a lullaby around a modest home using the Tagalog language of the Philippines. Hansbury masterfully intertwines landscape, imagination, and her personal history. Growing up in the Midlands near the bogs of County Offaly, she met limited reference points for her biracial identity. Her artworks, which she describes as extended drawings, embody her memories and experiences, intricately connected with the physical and cultural landscape of the boglands.
Hansbury's choice of withy or willow branches as the primary material for her installations evokes deep-seated cultural connections and creates an aesthetic that is simultaneously mysterious, otherworldly, and strangely familiar. The withy, a strong, flexible willow stem, holds eco-cultural significance in the history, economy, and heritage of the boglands of her childhood. With a rich history in ancient rituals and traditional crafts, the withy is laden with mythological and archaeological meaning.
Although her installations appear deceptively fragile, they are delicately suspended by steel wire, allowing for movement, and punctuated by contrasting jesmonite pieces. This reflects Hansbury's focus on the spatial and bodily relationship with the artworks. She emphasizes the significance of viewers' engagement with the artwork and the potential for the creation of subjective and associative meaning.
Hansbury has curated the exhibition herself, ensuring that it is site-specific and responsive to the space in which it is displayed. The intention is to gently guide the viewer along a path of reflection in a disorienting space that exists in neither the past nor the future but somewhere in between a space she describes as liminal, a realm of change and possibility.
FAQs
Q1: What is the significance of the withy or willow branches in Vivian Hansbury's art?
A1: The withy or willow branches used in Vivian Hansbury's art have deep cultural connections to the history, economy, and heritage of the boglands. They also hold mythological and archaeological significance, making them a central element in her installations.
Q2: What is the theme of Vivian Hansbury's exhibition?
A2: Vivian Hansbury's exhibition explores themes of memory, identity, and our connection to the environment. It is a site-specific display that encourages viewers to reflect on a liminal space, one that exists between the past and the future.
Q3: Where can I see Vivian Hansbury's art exhibition?
A3: Vivian Hansbury's art exhibition will run from November 10th to November 14th. You can attend the preview on November 10th from 6 pm to 8 pm, and the gallery will be open from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, and on Saturdays from 12 pm to 5 pm at The Complex.
Q4: Where can I buy tickets to Vivian Hansbury’s 'Bahi Kubo' art exhibition?
A4: Tickets for the Vivian Hansbury are sold on The Complex’s website.
Conclusion:
Vivian Hansbury's art takes us on a journey through the bogs of her childhood, unearthing buried memories and exploring the complex terrain of identity. Her use of withy or willow branches connects us to the rich cultural heritage of the boglands, and her installations invite us to engage with the art on a deeply personal level. If you are in search of a unique and thought-provoking art experience, do not miss her exhibition which will be running from November 10th to 14th at The Complex. It is a chance to step into a liminal space where past and future converge, offering a glimpse into the ever-changing landscape of art and identity.