The Temporary Resident exhibition addressed themes of identity, immigration and mental health in the viewpoint of the ʻOtherʼ. At Massy Arts Society, I attempted to unpack the point of tension I occupy as a temporary resident and uninvited visitor on unceded territories. The show posed more questions than answers, and asked us to investigate our complicity in larger social, political, and cultural systems of oppression.

These pieces exist in response to the in-between space I have come to inhabit as a foreign body distanced from home. A space in limbo, which has only been exacerbated by a year of flight bans, confinement, and uncertainty. Rather than conceal my emotions, I have accepted and held space for the surfacing of negative feelings which have come to resemble old friends.

I now invite them to dance with me. This show welcomed participants to be a part of my emotional landscape and I encouraged them to engage in the space and interact with specific works and seek out the small gestures scattered around the space that offer ritual protection to keep us safe in our journeys.