ChiChai in the Ice…Land
I'm in week 3 of my artist residency at @fishfactoryis and I can wholeheartedly say this is one of the best leaps I've ever taken.
The Fish Factory Studio and the fjord I’m staying in
YOU, my lovely subscriber, get some special sneak peeks of what's coming out of this residency. This is a hefty newsletter so I broke it down into the following sections <3
WHY I CHOSE TO DO AN ARTIST RESIDENCY
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WHAT I'VE MADE SO FAR
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WHY ICELAND
WHY I CHOSE TO DO AN ARTIST RESIDENCY
Friends and family know me as the "always busy" one; a never-ending to-do list with art supplies in one hand, answering emails on the phone on another. A common description used for me.
And, honestly, an accurate one. And one I wish to change.
Prior to being a full-time artist was a decade of multiple jobs while trying to pursue my art, balance my personal life, and persevere mental health battles.
Pursuing my art career continues to be a balancing act but I've finally worked my way into a groove to feel... afloat.
This felt like the right time to forreal treat myself with dedicated time to create for the love of it. No deadlines, no panelists to impress.
Art just for me.
This was the right time to take the leap; the right time to make a change towards a slower pace.
WHAT I’VE MADE SO FAR
I’m using a flip-up table as an idea-board on one side and a clothing rack on the other. I found some rope laying around to wrap around the board, utilizing its brackets for tension strong enough to hold up all these in-progress garments.
This residency has allowed me the space ( and headspace) to create pieces I've been wanting to make AND pieces I hadn't imagined before. I wanna share the intentions I'm putting into this new collection of work but Ima keep it under wraps for now. What I will share for now, however, are that there are two themes: one for fashion design and one for... ceramics!
You’ll see the above has a combination of just for fun as well as things I want to further explore after this residency.
WHY ICELAND
Already having huge pieces of my heart in the Philippines and Hawai'i (+ the privilege to indulge in both) I wanted to see how other mountains looked like as they stretch to the sky; I wanted to experience how another Mama Ocean's mist kisses feel like, no matter how chilly they may be.
My heart already knows there's infinite inspiration to breath in from ancestral ties to the tropical. This residency serves as a challenge of seeing what inspiration can come from a completely different kind of island nation. And, although I can say my spirit and skin (especially my eczema lol) still prefers being sun-kissed and humid, there's definitely so much to learn and soak in here in Iceland.
