My acculturation

My approach and thinking have been shaped by many paths during my personal development. From early childhood, the importance of crafting by hand, which has continued in my work, was encouraged, through exploratory sketches, drawings and making maquettes from basic materials. I have an inherent need in my making process to retain an aesthetic quality of uniqueness and direct materiality through hand crafting.

I come from an artistic family; my father was an architect, leading us as a family to travel to architectural sites around the world, which has strongly influenced my perceptions of space and form. As a child I was inspired to create simple maquettes, in iterations, a technique which I continue to use throughout my design stages, from concept to visualising the final pieces. During these early years, I was fascinated with the way light penetrated spaces within structures and the shadows cast by these movements of light in creating hidden spaces. I absorbed the atmosphere created by angled streams of sun rays penetrating through awnings in traditional street markets, creating a hazy atmosphere of intrigue, accentuating gateways and vistas. I observed the linking of external space to internal space, with Moghul-style pavilions, colonnades, internal courtyards linked through arcades and verandas giving a sense of awe and procession, a rite of passage.

As migrants, we arrive packaged with cultural identities and are often plunged into unfamiliar urban territory. How do we identify and assimilate into this new motherland? The feeling of being lost, not recognising where the safe spaces can be found? My research explores the relationship of space and assimilation, where cultural identities can seep around sculptural spaces. The familiarity of the space is not defined by a style or locality but by the people who live around it. 

My trajectory into creating public sculptures flows as an extension of my architectural career working on civic buildings. Two contemporary architectural projects which have influenced my sculptural senses are: The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Nouméa, New Caledonia by Renzo Piano, in which I was part of the architectural team; the Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku by Zaha Hadid where I led the realisation of the external form from the design intent to the constructed form.