“Decolonist”
Katie West
6 May → 4 June 2016
Decolonist is a multisensory installation invoking reflection about the land we occupy as Australians and the nation that inhabits our minds.
The process of decolonisation is reimagined as a personal meditation practice. Breathing out the traumas of colonisation, breathing in a decolonised state of mind and giving life to philosophy and action that might dominate a decolonised Australian reality. Artist Katie West presents the process of reflecting on the impact of colonisation upon her sense of self as an Aboriginal woman - developing her own method of decolonisation that simultaneously confronts the sources of trauma and inspires healing through creating a decolonised identity.
Video works and fibre sculpture come together to create a meditation space. Inviting the viewer to participate in the practice or simply observe and listen. Decolonist asks what is your decolonised identity?
For this project West began with the question, what would it feel like to live in a society dominated by Indigenous world views and philosophies?
This project was developed through Next Wave's Kickstart program.
Katie West is a Perth-based artist and Yindjibarndi woman who has lived her life in Noongar Yued and Noongar Whadjuk countries. West describes herself as a multidisciplinary artist situated in the social sciences. Her practice is shaped by her family history, studies in sociology and work experience in the area of Indigenous health.