[Traduction à venir] « Writing and drawing

This is the first time I have incorporated text into my panelled drawings. I have long been interested in “hearing” what the figures in my work might “say” if they had a voice. The speech bubbles emerged as a way to give these strange and hybridized creatures a form of agency and presence beyond their visual representation.

Throughout my drawing practice, I embrace processes that facilitate chance, randomness, and accident, allowing me to work more freely and less bound by restraints or preconceived ideas. The inclusion of words aligns with this approach. They began as a stream of consciousness, reflecting the fleeting and often random thoughts that occupy my mind as I work. As the text-based drawings evolved, I also incorporated words contributed by friends and colleagues, creating a subtle dialogue between my imagination and the wider world.

For me, text suggests that these figures possess their own inner life, perspective, and narrative. The speech bubbles serve as a bridge between the visual and the verbal, engaging with the fluidity of thought, memory, and imagination.

In this way, the new work recalls the Surrealist exploration of automatic writing and drawing. The aim is to relinquish control, allowing the unconscious mind to express itself freely, embracing chance, accident, and randomness, and experiencing the emergence of unexpected connections and meanings. » - Ed Pien