Issue 1 | October 2023
The Art Of Overcoming
I Hold My Hand
By: Tee Chandler
In the space of five years I was sexually assaulted at knifepoint, then physically assaulted by my lover, who then stopped me seeing the child we had brought into the world. The world felt unsafe.
Some 30-odd years later, I am joining up the dots as to why I am always compelled to keep my distance from people no matter how far in they reach towards me. What triggered this awakening was noticing my habit of holding my hand to help me sleep, as well as noticing an increase in an internal dialogue “what’s wrong with me?” This project is my way of communicating the impact these events have had on me, and how photography is helping me process. It is a selfish self-serving act of art, and whether any audience connects with this will be a bonus. I hope they do- this work is how I am healing, perhaps others will too.
My practice has centered on emotion, and I put heart and soul into my work. In this work, my guts are also exposed. Photography is my therapeutic tool, it’s my self-care practice, and it’s how I capture the exposure of emotion.
Trauma informs this project- how life events shape who we become.
Nature has been significant in the process of recovery- at first I thought it was a clichéd response, but increasingly I am valuing that I do feel better when surrounded by trees than by people. Nature has also made me reflect on what I take and give back. I have taken recovery and in making my work, increasingly choose kinder alternative practices, such as anthotypes, lumens, cyanotypes, scanning, recycled paper, and plant-based toners.
“From The Orca’s Point of View” By: Janey Mae
“Flow” By: Clarissa Cervantes
“Freedom” By: Aliaksandra Markava
“Silvia Overcomes Depression”
By: Silvia Marcantoni Taddei &
Massimo Sannelli (AnimaeNoctis)
Ghost Tree
By: Charmaine Quintana
Each time my heart was shattered.
The pieces were gently gathered,
And given a new life.
Grown in the soil of broken dreams,
That were my child’s life,
A graceful tree emerged.
It’s bark a bright stone white.
It’s blooms a scarlet red.
It’s heart my love for her.
It stands without remorse
And sings a soft goodbye.
It is The Ghost Tree of my healing heart.
Solace for the Newly Bereaved
By: Penn Kemp
We share this deep new reality for
which no words suffice…maybe one
in Japanese, expressing the loss of
ten thousand things. Something quiet
in the snow, snow, the silencing snow.
What holds Sorrow and Joy in its lap?
‘Setsunai’ implies what has faded from
brightness, what can’t quite be recalled,
beyond knowing that everything passes.
Snow dropping on snow-spangled trees.
The Heart Of Me
By: Lynn White
The heart of me is filled with flowers,
so many flowers flowing
to engulf me in fragile petals
and the sweetest of scents
swirling in a multi coloured glory.
The head of me is filled with flowers,
so many flowers intertwined
that I hesitate to comb my hair
and forego my winter hats,
the cold no longer seems
to penetrate in any case.
My heart and my head
leave me flowers to spare
so I think of you,
your heart and your head
which are all that matter
and I’ll fill them both
with my flowers
and wait for the butterflies.
For being made of the bowels
By: Januário Esteves
For being made of the bowels
The spirit that occupies you
It’s my clumsiness
And from love to excuse
I didn’t want you for anything else
You are worth it
For beings of difficult riding
Be scared and the evils
You give everyone the right measure
It would be better to be careful
Don’t waste time, dear
Crush your assets.
I am now in treatment for cancer a second time. I have found that a positive attitude is a must. As well, a firm refusal to not give in. – Christopher Woods
Before and After Rectification
By: Samba Prasad Biswas
Both of these ink drawings consist of two parts. The left part illustrates a torn-out area, symbolizing the current state of our society as affected by various issues. The right side is a organized space, identical to the left side but rendered correctly, so no flaws are present. The right side is our desired ideal society, where everything is justly in order and properly planned. In my work, I have transformed the chaotic space into an orderly one to achieve a harmonious effect. I always feel that we have all the resources within us, and we must take positive steps to rectify unfavorable situations to rebuild an ideal society for a better life.
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