In October, KARST is pleased to welcome two graduate artists for a six-month studio residency, Ashanti Hare (Arts University Plymouth) and Mitzi Dabrowski (Bath Spa University).
Ashanti is a Devon based multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores the duality of existing as both human being and spiritual entity. Combining digital manipulation, folk craftsmanship and writing, Hare often explores the boundaries between cultural identity and spiritual entity through sensory experiences that include tactility, scent and moving image. Through the use of traditional craft practices such as textiles and ceramics, Hare creates tapestries and sculpture that retell Caribbean and African folklore, spellwork and history while reflecting popular culture specific to Black Britishness.
Ashanti says, “I hope to use this residency to expand my research of Cornish colonial and spiritual history alongside traditional African and Caribbean craft practises. Exploring definitively how ceramics, textiles and artefact collecting has shaped both spiritual practice and visual arts. Alongside this I will continue my research into ancestral storytelling and altar building, looking specifically at African glass seed beadwork within ceremonial garments, I seek to develop a series of smaller tapestries exploring ideas around tarot, runes and sigils utilising folktales and african spiritual practises.”
Mitzi practice uses a multi-disciplinary approach to expand fleeting moments from live music gigs into tangible works, as well as using existing imagery within youth culture as inspiration. The intention behind Mitzi’s work is to explore the ephemeral nature of particular nights in music venues, to give these moments more attention and time to potentially dissect the energy and change in behaviour people experience. Using clay or found objects to create sculpture to represent a sense of physicality from within a crowd of people, Mitzi hopes to further experiment with both material and concept.
Mitzi says, “Having a studio at KARST will allow me to continue the trajectory of study and exploration that I need for my practice, and I aim to create my third zine during this residency, as well as use the city of Plymouth to fuel the topics in my work.”
The two artists will be working in the studios until March 2023.