My artistic practice centers around my experience with the neurological variation named Aphantasia and the impact it has on my memory. Aphantasia, defined as the absence of mental images in the 'mind's eye', causes difficulty with the recollection of situations, spaces, or faces. The mechanics of visual imagery in this context has become a driving force behind my work, which investigates ways to represent the disjointed nature of how my own mind renders faces.
I have always been fascinated with portraiture and how it holds the power to capture a person within a specific, static moment. However, when I attempt to recall the faces of even the closest people in my life, I can only discern key features, unable to visualise a fully formed image of them.
This inherent inability to revisit uncaptured memories became an intriguing yet unsettling site of exploration, particularly regarding my family who I am very close to. My desire to relive moments over again and the limitations that Aphantasia has on my memory creates a tension in the work I create. This tension manifests itself in my artistic practice through both practical methods and the manipulation of the subjects I depict, externally realising my own introspective exploration.
By making my family the focus of my work, I aim to visualise this subtle yet uneasy undercurrent that their faces may slip from my memory over time.
