Dearest
Workshop in Arteles Creative Center, 2024.10
Dearest emerged from an unexpected gum print workshop during the residency. After I shared my own gum prints, two artists approached me with curiosity and suggested that I hold a workshop. What began as an informal exchange gradually became a shared process.
The works were created collaboratively over a two-week period, sharing materials and time. Each piece reflects individual choices in layering, exposure, and surface treatment, resulting in distinct visual textures and tonal shifts. Alison, Meagan, and Julia’s works carried an emotional depth closely tied to their chosen images. Chao embraced failed prints and turned them into compelling outcomes. Oisin’s decision to coat only selected areas introduced a striking sense of restraint. Every question, hesitation, and choice shaped the collective atmosphere of the workshop and expanded my own understanding of the medium.
At the end of the residency, I gathered everyone’s works and titled the collective outcome Dearest. The works were presented together as a small exhibition—a quiet tribute to the time we shared, the images we entrusted to the process, and the bonds formed through slow, layered making. It became both a shared memory and a collective expression.
