The task for this project was to create a piece that celebrates something that you are grateful for. I decided to go back to the first lockdown, back in 2020, to find something that happened during those hard times that I was grateful for.
Below is my sketchbook, which I used to research different celebrations and artists, as well as showcasing my brainstorm of ideas, concepts and experimentations for the project.
The concept I decided to go with was this umbrella instillation. This piece is celebrating the self love I gained during the first lockdown. The two festivals I took inspiration from were the Agit Ãgueda art festival (for the umbrella idea) and the Fuji Shibazakura festival (the celebration of the blooming of the shibazakura flowers in Japan)
The meaning behind these flowers is “Timid heart” which I felt that it was fitting for my idea, since before lockdown I considered myself to have a “timid heart” until I “blossomed” into who I am today.
The two umbrellas also follow the concept of growing, for the umbrella on the floor is fallen and covered in grass and dirt, but as the vines and flower grow, they head towards a lifted, upright umbrella which is covered in flowers and lights. The use of fairy lights were to represent the idea of heading to a bright future, and how light is seen as positive and to also show the journey from darkness to light.
The use of flowers, vines and lights also gives the piece a fanciful and magical atmosphere , that I personally find appealing and gives off a warm and inviting environment, which I find fitting for the idea of self love, and being comfortable with who you are.
Above is the making of the installation and the final product. For the final photo, I used Procreate to edit the background to a fully covered black background so that the piece stands out more and all the detail is clear to see.
Date: 3rd Feb 2022
Media: Instillation — 2 umbrellas, green ribbon and vine-like ribbon, fairy lights and tissue paper for the flowers and added “grass” and “dirt”