VIOLA VAN DULLEMEN 30

VIOLA VAN DULLEMEN

17 | Dutch, Italian

‘IDENTITY CRISIS’ A PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY AND CONFUSION IN WHICH A PERSON’S SENSE OF IDENTITY BECOMES INSECURE, TYPICALLY DUE TO A CHANGE IN THEIR EXPECTED AIMS OR ROLE IN SOCIETY” (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2010).

As a 17 year old Dutch Italian having lived in London, India, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Manila and Hong Kong, I’ve always experienced confusion and questioned where I felt my home was, until I moved to Hong Kong. This city has shaped who I am, and I can finally say I feel at home, and at peace within myself. With the rise of the protests in Hong Kong, I felt a need to protect the place I love, and that has in the past protected me. In this body of work I look at Anselm Kiefer who was inspired by significant events and tragedies. This work lead me to depict the power and strength within the people of Hong Kong. By etching large groups of protesters, my aim was to overwhelm viewers with scale and strength by numbers, much like the protests do. When gathering my research and making this work I started to feel a sense of camaraderie within the community, their trust in each other and willpower to keep fighting for what they believe in is what led to my inspirations, and is what has motivated me to do the same. To fight for my home through the use of art, is something that I am very fortunate to do. 30