Tendai Chitima Harcup

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My work is a reflection of the scars left on me from the horrors of my past. Though my emotions are constantly evolving, an undercurrent of suffering persists. The pain I’ll always remember. I strive to create art that captures the complexities within my subconscious. Raw, unadulterated, free. Language fails to have the words to express my innermost feelings, but on a canvas I am free.

Both oil pastels and ink allow me to convey myself without limits. They feel almost opposite in nature, allowing me to explore a wide range of difficult emotions. Both allow fluidity, ink lends itself to the tainting nature of trauma, whereas oil pastels are reminiscent of the intensity of fleeting emotion. Painting lays the foundations for what keeps me grounded in this reality. The slow tedious process of creation reminds me of my strength, it allows me to take a step back and breathe. Without art, I’d be lost in the crevices of my mind.