TEMPORARY RESIDENT

The Temporary Resident exhibition explored themes of identity, immigration, and mental health from the perspective of the "Other." Hosted at Massy Arts Society, the show examined the tensions I navigate as a temporary resident and uninvited visitor on unceded territories. It posed questions rather than offering answers, urging us to reflect on our complicity in larger social, political, and cultural systems of oppression.

The works in this exhibition responded to the liminal space I inhabit as a foreign body, distanced from home—a space of uncertainty amplified by a year of flight bans, confinement, and instability. Instead of suppressing my emotions, I chose to embrace them, holding space for the negative feelings that have become like old friends.

Now, I invite these feelings to dance with me. The exhibition welcomed participants into my emotional landscape, encouraging them to engage with the space, interact with specific works, and discover the small gestures scattered throughout—rituals of protection intended to keep us safe on our journeys.