From the Inside Out, and the Outside In… reflects on the realities of island life that are often obscured by romanticised notions of islands. While islands are often perceived as safe havens for those escaping the hustle and bustle of mainland urban lives, for island dwellers, the experience extends far beyond the safety net that comes with being enclosed by the sea. Importantly within this context, isolation, which is typically associated with vulnerability or a lack of safety, is translated into strength through preparation, communication, and exchange.

Through an assemblage of mediums: sculpture, performance art (video), and drawings, From the Inside Out and the Outside In, represent the strength of island networks at a time of extreme social isolation and fragmentation. It seeks to draw out the tension between transparency and opacity that has historically structured mainland/island relations, capturing the ebb and flow of its journeys on its way.

Reminiscent of my feelings and experiences upon first moving to Bere Island, these works are shaped by my understanding of island life as simultaneously defined by openness and limitations, community and autonomy, roots and routes.