Jade Constantine

Hoarded All That’s Left of Me is a body of work which consists of an installation and objects within, which aims to communicate a constantly developing narrative: the world has been destroyed by pollution, war, death and disease with new strains of viruses which have mutated the remaining population on Earth. Through an extensive examination process, members of the human race who have been deemed more valued either by economic, educational, or occupational status, are granted access to a new, manufactured planet, to restart. After being rejected to evacuate to the new planet, a remaining inhibitor of the Earth seeks refuge within the Edinburgh College of Art Main Building, creating an inhabitable space, armour and weapons to protect themselves from limited materials around them and scavenge for supplies in order to survive. The works shown is the inhabited space and creations of the inhibitor.
My practice is autobiographical, with my work representing events in my life both literally and conceptually. This body of work is a response to trauma experienced like death, mental health issues and grief, transforming these events into physical manifestations of threats to be protected against. Themes in my work include, grief, fear, safety, protection, aggression, femininity. While the work has a fictitious narrative to form around, the work is ultimately a desperate attempt to feel safe and protected in an incredibly unsafe, scary world. Hyper-femininity is explored within my work within the context of weapons, armour, dystopia and the post-apocalypse: by presenting both strength and softness, through the use of soft satin fabric and using a colour theme of pink and purple aim to challenge the traditional masculine dystopian materiality by using craft materials like beads, ribbon and buttons and through processes like sewing. 
A goal of my practice is to challenge the relationship between the viewer and the work, demanding attention from intriguing material choices while establishing boundaries, both physical and psychologically, with the created danger and vulnerability in my works. My work will pull you in and push you away, acknowledging both the desperate need for connection and understanding, as well the agonising apprehension.