There is a wonderful word we can use to explain the “sensory bubble” we each inhabit: Umwelt. Coined by biologist Jakob von Uexküll, it describes the specific world as it is experienced by a particular organism. A honeybee, for example, perceives ultraviolet patterns on a petal and senses the Earth’s magnetic field. It does not willfully ignore the world as we see it, but simply exists in a reality shaped by different perceptual tools that we cannot experience.

While Uexküll’s origins were biological, many academics explore how this extends to the human experience. We are no different. Though we share the same physical space, we each inhabit a distinct perceptual reality shaped by our own senses, memories, and lived experiences. 

Will Storr suggested the human umwelt is constructed through narrative. We do not just see raw data; we interpret reality as stories, casting the world around us in colours and meanings unique to ourselves.

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Particularly, I am fascinated by the idea that while we can never fully experience another person’s reality, we continue to try. And for me, that is the true beauty of all forms of creativity - the striving to share, co-create and grow our ideas. 

In UMWELT//, my first solo show, I explore this idea and attempt to share with you the umwelt I have inhabited during six years of living in Bristol. 

These paintings and mixed-media pieces use colour and perspective to find narratives within the ordinary. By playing with texture and found vintage materials, such as matchboxes, I look for compositions and stories in the everyday. For me, colour is a specific language of emotion and a way to showcase a slice of my world. As you see the vibrancy of each piece, I ask you to consider what it makes you think of.

When I view an artwork, my favourite thing to do is guess the subject, understand the creation, and let it inspire my own ideas. Many paintings in this exhibition suggest a narrative but leave space for you to bring your own interpretation and memories to the piece.

So, I invite you to explore UMWELT//.

My world is here and I look forward to meeting you within it.