Several months ago, I was very flattered to be approached by the French painter and collage artist Gisèle Tchitchiama with the idea of collaborating with her to create a video piece for her upcoming art show at HART HK as a part of Le French May exhibition running from May 5-17 2023. Not having worked in this format before, I was a little nervous, but immediately intrigued by her vision for the project.
The show's direction was inspired by a photograph Gisèle had taken whilst traveling in Dover, UK, looking out at the ocean through a blurry window pane set off a creative chain reaction. The title "Luminaria" frames a quest for illumination through encounters with light, fragility and the ephemeral.
Gisèle's creative process was a wonder to be a part of! As I watched her working in various mediums, her initial seed of an idea blossomed into a delicate emotional landscape of work that in turn inspired me to begin to capturing this ephemeral light in many different environments, motivated by her approach and perspective. I was incredibly moved when she played me the beautiful song she was compelled to write to accompany the film, and when Lauren Perrin, cellist with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta added his cello accompaniment to the piece, it felt like another perfect addition.
The completed film is a departure from my usual narrative style, but has been such a fulfilling explorative journey with a fellow female artist.
You can view the completed film here