Untitled, 2021
50”x27”
50”x27”
Untitled, 2021
50”x27”
50”x27”
Untitled (details), 2021
60” x 27”
60” x 27”
Kaori-Mei
Staying grounded in present life can be easier said than done. Through hands, physical touch can reconnect me to the world, to myself, the hands themselves acting as a reminder of life. Since they’ve become this constant reminder, I see a lot of the world through my hands. They help work through situations where being present is a challenge, and are personal protectors that everyone in some way is born with. When I feel like I'm losing that sense of existence in the world, I find myself grasping at ways around me to stay grounded, and oftentimes failing. But, there's a comfort that can be found in watching my hands interact with the world, and in knowing that I am still present. At the same time, this process forces me to remember that my hands are a part of me, and a self reflection happens naturally. It is an interesting process to physically depict the protective hands, while using my hands in real time for the creation process; it holds a cathartic nature, and the intended result is to feel that powerful and grounding force within myself. With this in mind, each person has power in their hands, and with power, responsibility. People often use the term, I’ll leave this in your hands, making the hands synonymous with responsibility and care, but also equating the hands to the person, on a more intimate level. Inevitably we come in contact with people who abuse that power, physically or emotionally, with their hands. The effects and memories of the violence can partially undo the progress made in grounding myself. Some of the hands in these pieces are working to represent tension and pain in the violence of an aggressive touch, while also focusing on the navigation of self through this experience.