BIOGRAPHY: I was born in London, England to a Thai mother and British father. As a child, I always possessed a strong level of creativity and flair for artistic endeavours. As a teenager, after leaving the University of Westminster with a Foundation in Art and Design, I entered into full-time employment; working a variety of roles. While I enjoyed the dedication and professionalism of these positions, I felt they never suited my artistic aspirations, and desire for creativity. Eventually, I returned to full-time education; graduating from Middlesex University, London in July 2016, with a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art.
As an artist, my passion for travel and philanthropy has considerably influenced my work. This has led me to embark on various self-directed projects – most recently a photographic expedition, in Myanmar (Burma); titled “Faces of Burma”. The outcome of this led to me showcase my work; with two successful group exhibitions in Central London.
ARTIST STATEMENT: The basis for my work has always been that of humanity; specifically the foundations and characteristics of what defines both the individual roles of people in a community, and how each group operates, as a collective. For this I have returned to my parental roots in Southeast Asia; where I planted the initial seeds for this project to grow, earlier on this year in Myanmar.
I have always been drawn to Southeast Asia, due to growing up with a strong attachment to my mother; yet have experienced sporadic contact with her side, due to living in England.
As she was raised with three other siblings in an underdeveloped Bangkok suburb as a child – under extreme poverty, I have never fully been able to comprehend the hardships faced by her and her community; as well as the interactive unity formed through such adversity. As an artist, I wish to reveal the answers to these questions, as well as discover my own voice in the process; which I believe lies somewhere within this pilgrimage to her homeland.
On a deeper level, the interaction between humanity I feel has a ubiquitous quality; which can be found through a complete immersion in the varying cultures the world over. All human life carries an invaluable price, and having lived in Western society for so many years, I now seek to – both an artist and human being, find a true definition of the word ‘community’.
RESIDENCY GOALS: The Residency at Sam Rit, will be an important transition for me into a professional career as an artist; as this is my first major professional project as an artist, working outside of the formal training within my university. I am also curious as to working in an environment which is known to operate at a relaxed pace; the polar opposite of my life within a major western city. An integral part of this will be my interaction and engagement with other artists/peers, as well as immersing myself within the local community. Working with other artists will hopefully teach me different ideas and techniques, which can help me develop as a professional. As well as this, it is likely to serve me in a positive way when it comes to future collaborations with other artists. The experience of the rural setting and its inhabitants will help me through building a strong rapport with the residents, which I believe is vital in producing a higher quality of work. In order to produce such intimate images, based on a mutual trust and without being intrusive and exploitative, it is necessary to connect on some form of personal level with the subject. Being able to do so with those from a completely different culture is a particularly useful education, which will aid me as an artist in the long-term.
Ultimately the residency will be a fantastic opportunity for me to create a fresh body of photographic work, as well as evolve as an artist and human being; leading to enough material to create both a photographic book exploring portraits of the community, as well as an exhibition documenting my experiences within South-East Asia. As much as I can learn from the theory of works of scholars, nothing replicates the knowledge born from direct experience.
Marissa Ward 