Voices of Nature, part of a residency programme at Kaaysa Art residency nestled between ocean and forest in Boiçucanga, Sao Sebastiano, Brazil. Led by Fernando Velasquez and Lucas Bambozzi.
Initially, we were invited to engage in a profound act of listening—documenting our experiences with nature. It's surprising to consider that while we possess the ability to hear, we often fail to utilise it fully. This realisation became the central theme of a painting study I embarked upon, reflecting on how technological advancements, particularly the prevalence of headphones, have negatively impacted our connection to the world around us.In urban settings like London, it has become increasingly rare to see someone without something obstructing their ears. This observation marked the beginning of my journey toward recognising the significant disconnection we experience—not only from nature but also from ourselves.
Are you listening?
Oil on water colour paper, sewing & text
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We had the opportunity to meet and work with many interesting people during the residency. The experiences which stood out for me; a contemporary dance workshop with Toshiko, ceramic workshop and a visit to the Gurani tribe. This, plus the environment, and the other residents made it an extremely stimulating and creative ongoing dialogue of inspiration.
I made this film short film and slowed it down to highlight the body's natural ability to flow, emulating the land and reflecting our connection to nature, as we are all part of it.
Fascination with Water Sounds
I developed a deep fascination for collecting sounds of water from various locations, marvelling at the unique qualities each one possesses. The roar of a waterfall, the gentle trickle from a kitchen filter, the soothing flow of my shower, and the babbling of a nearby stream—all these sounds seemed to convey distinct emotions, feelings, and even personalities.To explore this further, I conducted an experiment with fellow residents. I played the recordings I had gathered and invited them to share their feelings and guess the source of each sound. The responses were captivating. Many listeners expressed feelings of anger, freedom, and strength when hearing the waterfall, while others experienced sadness or joy.I’ve included some of these recordings below for you to listen to. I encourage you to pay attention to how they make you feel. This experience led me to realise that by simply tuning in a little more than usual, we can truly hear—and feel—the differences between the sounds of water.
We had the opportunity to visit the Gurani tribe, native to the area where this residency was held. I was deeply intrigued by the insights shared by Papa and his partner Kris during our conversation about the Voices of Nature and nature in general. (Refer to my notes on the opposite page for more details.)As I explored various texts, one in particular captivated my attention: Choreographing the Crisis: Enchantments, Refuges, and Impossible (Re)positionings by Marina Guzzo.
"Dance allows us to understand that movement is how we constitute the world, and how it constitutes us in turn. And it is not just some kind of movement: it is a gesture. Gestures are loaded with all the perceptual, affective, and symbolic dimensions that are involved in the organization of the body and, as such, the world."
Inspired by Guzzo's framework and the dance we had explored ourselves, I felt compelled to create a soundscape that reflected our journey—a dance that delves into the intricate complexities of our connection with nature through sound.
The phrase used by Papa, "Our body is the land," resonated deeply with me. It reminded me that whenever I view land, I often see the contours of a woman's body. The land and water in our world reflect the essence of our own bodies, and conversely, we are manifestations of this natural landscape; we are all interconnected.Reflecting on my personal relationship with my body, I recognise it has been marked by dysfunction and dysmorphia. I pondered the extremes we often go to in order to alter our bodies, distancing them from their natural states to the point of becoming unrecognisable. This discomfort within my own skin prompted me to confront these feelings through photography. I aimed to embody the concept of the body as land, experimenting with placements that showcase my body in its most authentic form intertwining myself with the land.
We all come from the darkness
Notes I took during the visit to Papa and the Gurani tribe when he spoke to us.
Not Mother Nature
Our body is the land
We have water and land
We are moved by energies
When you talk you have to have water in your mouth to speak (saliva)
And to listen
We pretend we aren’t apart of it but we are apart of the nature
We blame the system
The more cement we will feel more safe because the forest makes us feel dangerous
But the cement has another temperature than the forest and we will breathe that in.
But it’s time to take off your shoes feel the air/ water / food
You are this environment
Then you can understand that our body is this energy.
It’s good we can see
If we couldn’t see we could understand to listen to our heart beating
Without sight we could feel
When we see we look for aesthetic things - looking for enchanted things
We see and we judge things
If we didn’t see we would be happier
We would just feel and listen and the beating of the heart
Naranda To feel your own shadow to be able to transmit with nature
You don’t need to have special Knowledge
It means to know who you are
To know yourself
When you need an answer
Look inside
And feel
You are in the darkness with yourself
THe light just shows you the way
Intuition and feeling
Sometimes the light is something that you find but you can loose easily
But when you go inside in the dark it’s then you are going to be more confident about this decision
The answer is more strong
Looking inside of you not outside
When you are looking in the light you see lots that distracts you but in the dark you see exactly what you need to see.
You have to feel everything because it helped the heart beat and the consciousness in your head.
The body doesn’t have the formula to feel emotions. Sometimes you don’t accept yourself/ with your body/ your etc… but when you accept yourself as an energy it’s very different - wow - you aren’t a body. I can be a man or a woman as an energy.
You have to come back to yourself to see all your power. When you discover who you are
You have to discover who you are before you came here. When you were still in the darkness.
Before you arrived here but you were in some other place.
The family is only a transport that brings you here - your energy is independent.
Ask for your dreams to show you the way
Learn about plants
Ask communities that know
Better to talk to people
School of dreams
As a practice talking about your dreams
Everyone has a dream and goes to papa to interpret the dreams.
Keep a dream journal
Normal dreams we connect with life but plants
Molongul plant to activate dreams
Papa
Oil on water colour paper
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Sweat Self portrait
Oil on water colour paper
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Kris
Oil on water colour paper
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Is everything Nature?
Oil on water colour paper
A4