MEETING
H E L L O & W E L C O M E
Building a website can seem never ending, I feel as though it has become such a secret mission, something that happens at night whilst everyone I know is asleep. These invisible moments of achievement, I hope, will have formed a collection of work to meet you here now.
I'll be sitting somewhere in the world eagerly watching this space too, finally seeing it as a real place.
My serious website building face captured by James Wainman
My name is Khairana Dewi. I am based in London and I am a freelance artist.
I studied Critical Fine Art Practice at the University of Brighton and to be completely honest I was lost whilst on the course, the parts of me that grew up outspoken and expressive retreated. I wasn't active or vocal enough and the longer I remained dormant the heavier my insecurities felt. This spiralled out of control and before I knew it, I became a silent witness to my own critical thinking. I began to doubt my artistic style, my intention and I was tethered to an attitude that stunted me and I simply stopped making work.
It wasn't until I came across a crumpled copy of a painting I had saved that I felt a strange form of confidence. I still loved this image I had kept safe. No amount of critique would convince me otherwise. So why had I been so quick to give up on my own work?
I can still see myself in that moment, sitting cross legged on my green carpet, with sheets of saved documents strewn across my lap. I knew then, that my work was entirely up to me. I began to understand that as an aspiring artist, I had to be sure of myself to drive the creativity forward. So I graduated with a degree piece that set me free and made me proud.
The painting below is by Mamma Andersson, when I found it I felt like I was being reunited with a small part of myself and it wasn't until a few years later that I found out the title too.
Coming Home, Mamma Andersson
Now I make work that could meet me where ever I am, at whatever state of my heart.
We can't always pinpoint where any of our choices began, sometimes it doesn't even feel like a choice and more of a calling, but when we are stopped in our tracks and our heart can give our mind some solace and clarity, its not to be ignored. I'd like to think Ive been answering more calls than ever before. They are here. So thank you for meeting me :)
See more wonderful works by Mamma Andersson here
