Faculty of Art

Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies

Kaylei Williamson

I am every age I have ever been

This installation reflects an exploration of personal identity and nostalgia, delving into the feelings of longing and loss that go along with growing up. The bed is present throughout all stages of life, a place of comfort, safety and familiarity. It is a space that houses many memories and, in this work, physically intertwines object with memory. Spread out over the bed is a collection of archival images from various moments in my life, transferred onto fabric; some clear and some blurry, highlighting the ephemerality of memory. Looking back on photos makes me wonder and reflect on who I was in a single moment; what was I thinking and feeling? The repetition and layering of imagery represent a layering of self and an attempt to remember and hold on to these moments. The lamp beside the bed features image transfers of my childhood bedroom, tying together person with place. Lighting is used intentionally in both pieces to emphasize shadow and weave together past and present. The objects in this piece intertwine memories and attempt to recreate the feeling nostalgia brings, a desperate longing for something you will never be able to have again. This work invites viewers to reflect on their own past and consider what nostalgia means to them.