As Waves Break

As waves break, I begin to understand where I’ve come from, where I’m going.

I’ve long fought against this current.

Bracing myself between you and the shore.

From your wake, I’ve become my own force.

Once fueled by spite, now carried by a tide of hope.

As waves break, may I soften your edges without completely eroding you away.

As Waves Break, 2026

This installation was the anchor piece of my solo exhibition at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery in the Winter of 2026. It addresses the two superstitions that were most formative for me. The first is the idea that women are bad luck aboard fishing vessels (a belief my grandfather held), and the second was one of the first things I was told when I began fishing: never whistle aboard the boat.

The photo on the suspended print was taken back in 2023 by my friend Andrew Lewis as part of a triptych and repurposed for this piece. The image of myself in transparent oil gear was meant to be my response to my late grandfather’s superstition that women were bad luck aboard boats. I borrowed from the imagery of nude women as the figure heads on ships (a practice that was said to appease the sea Gods and provide calm seas/a safe voyage) to transform myself into a symbol of good luck. The fabric print is activated after a whistle plays (the melody from Up She Rises - a classic fishing tune) and “wind” (a fan) starts to blow the image. Fishermen are superstitious of whistling while aboard a boat because it is said to “rile up the wind”. The way I engage with fishing is very much disruptive of tradition and the movement of the suspended print is meant to reinforce that.

The three concrete structures are inspired by a breakwater of reef balls. They protect shorelines, divert waves, and provide homes for aquatic life. This barrier and the piece itself are a visual representation of trying to mitigate the passing down/continuation of family trauma. I have been known to be the sponge of my family. Soaking up any conflict, attempting to remain on fine terms with everyone, even when there is tension between certain family members. The piece acknowledges that damage has been done and serves as a symbol of intent to not perpetuate any further familial trauma. It is an attempt to represent both the physical and emotional labour that I continually engage in.