As part of the UNMASKED show at Peer, the Ambassadors presented a collage of artwork they made over the past year.

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AHINO
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‘This piece of writing comes from a very pure and unfiltered place in my heart since I wrote it right in the middle of the pandemic. I wrote it because, once again, I was trying to escape reality and the chaos that just broke loose. I have always been a sucker for sunsets and it’s the closest thing to nature for me. I wrote it in an afternoon after my online lessons and since I also sleep next to a gigantic window I thought it was a great idea.

Now, this represents hope for me because it’s something that I look forward to reach one day, the idea of being able to just not worry so much about what I did yesterday, how today’s going and what I’ll have to do tomorrow in order to reach my best self. So, in a few words this is just a healing mindset sort of image that reminds me of my goals.’


BETTY
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Shattered (2021), gouache collage.

‘In the centre, a person takes a photo of their reflection in a window. Behind the character is a tranquil beach, which is taken notice of – not in its original image, but as a reflection through glass. The character is transfixed by seeing themselves situated in this serene, expansive coastline, but simultaneously their gaze is boxed in. In the reflection lies small details of an interior, where vision pierces through.

After trying to enclose this rectangle window in a sea of solid black gouache and noticing streaks of texture in the paint, I realised that I preferred it. The way it dried and melted into water was much more interesting and reminded me of the smudges of dirt and glimmers of light that I’d notice on a window surface. Staring at – and through windows was my frequent pastime during lockdown. I’d often daydream or observe what was (or wasn’t) happening outside. Sometimes I’d completely ignore it all together while I was on my phone.

Sometimes I think my imagination is hindered by being contained indoors all day, and other times I feel as though the conditions of the same environment and the same routine actually encourages me to relieve my boredom and notice things more, or let my mind wander. I realised that by analysing the paint patterns was my way of looking beyond the literal; it seemed fitting to replicate my imagination running wild in my process.

Therefore, I began indiscriminately painting – applying different strokes, pressure; altering the consistency, adding layers, and letting it set. I looked at individual areas and noticed surreal landscapes, like a nebulous glow that I added stars to, to resemble outer space – or a lonely hut sitting atop a vast valley, which I cropped and cut with scissors to emphasise.  

Improvisation is a way of art-making that I think is equally as respectable as making art with intention. You embrace the way it reveals itself to you, rather than how you choose to reveal it.‘


‍Wince at the flowering Quince (2021), coloured pencils and pen.

‘These flowers typically bloom between the months of March and May, which I illustrated using coloured pencil and pen for Peer's first Hackney in Spring zine. I like how plants add vibrance and shelter to our surroundings – we stop to notice them after a winter of barren soil. The cup-shaped Quince will make you wince, as I digitally edited the hues of this version for a saturated contrast of orange and blue. It stands out loudly on the front cover.‘

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The Charcoal Trees (2021), charcoal.

‘Some people would associate leaflessness to lifelessness, and colourlessness to somewhere bleak. The tree I drew in the foreground resembles a burned twig, which coincidentally reminds me of how charcoal is traditionally made – heating thinly peeled twigs without Oxygen.

Then the irony emerged: I was using this tool to draw the ghost of its past! The little tree, which once provided our planet with oxygen, was burned to make the material I held in my hand, removed of oxygen.

I intended to make faint markings in the background as distant trees, but like watching clouds transform, smudged particles of charcoal suddenly appeared more like smoke. I used water to tease the charcoal into branches, but the marks looked more like fire…’


CARMELA

Lily (2020), monoprint.
‘In this piece I have explored the idea of hope in a playful way. I have attempted to capture a feeling of joy, humour, beauty and a sense of release. The use of a fenced area with open gates communicates a decision to let the light in.’


DANITA

Infiltration (2020), oil paint.
‘This is meant to symbolise how the corruption of poverty spreads slowly yet visibly when it deteriorates the architecture around us’.


HADASSA

A new light (2020), oil on canvas.
‘This painting is about illuminating beauty within darkness. It’s about choosing and allowing oneself to go into new directions, even when it might feel daunting. It’s about  treasuring moments of growth and its journey. It’s about allowing yourself to explore the darkness, then be able to create your own shine and glow from it.

Ultimately, it’s seeing and accepting that there is always a bright light within ourselves and it’s for us to find it through each challenging experience that life gives. I used the colours of the sunrise and sunset as they represent new beginnings and  the closing of chapters. Whatever happens, the sun continues to rise and set and reminds us of its soothing beauty that never ceases to shy away.’


KHADIJAH

November (2020), watercolour, ink, pen & pencil on paper.
‘This piece was inspired by the warm feeling we got from family and friends despite the distance the cold pandemic put between us all.‘

‍Untitled (2021), mixed media collage.
‘This piece portrays vague childhood memories that are on the brink of fading due to the rapid changes of life.’

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‍Tapiwa
‘This poem was written for the Hackney in Spring Zine to celebrate the changing of the season.’


TOYIN

February (2021), gel pen on paper.
This artwork was made for the PEER Ambassadors’ ‘Calendar of Hope 2021’ project. Working in a distinctive graphic style, usually incorporating dolls and influences from Toyin’s interest in comics and anime, her artwork is a true reflection of her bright and brilliant nature.

Khadija’s Garden (2021), pen and pencil on paper.
This drawing was made for the Hackney in Spring Zine. Recognisable by its beautifully graph style, this drawing has been reproduced so that people can colour it in. The installation at Peer features a reproduction that has been coloured in by Andrew and Ingrid Swenson.

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