Rosa Dalzell

“Words have always been difficult for me, but when I’m creating I escape the confines of words. Art is my strongest form of communication. My artistic channels are open when other channels are blocked. Art is my way of expressing and accessing the world. I hope that my art is powerful and connects with the viewer, to ultimately unblock their channels.

Growing up, home was confusing and complicated. Moving at least once a year meant that a house never felt like home. Once we finally settled, the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake shook this home to pieces. We moved again, but then this home was destroyed by the separation of my parents. Every time I thought I had found something solid I could rely on, it crumbled. I felt alone. My mind was not a comforting place, not one that I would ever want to call home. It was dark and intruded upon by depression and anxiety. The gradual darkness felt like a robbery of my most priceless valuables. I knew I needed an escape, and I continued in search of a comforting space. Within this darkness, I found colour. Guided by paint and a brush, I found a calm yet energetic creative tunnel. Peace, the way you should feel in your own warm bed.

Through my experiences, I have learned the cracks and crevices of my journey make me who I am. Like wabi-sabi, (a world view centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection), I now celebrate and highlight my asymmetrical imperfections. This awareness has influenced my art to embrace gestural mark-making emphasising emotion and passion. Sometimes you can’t conceal; you have to learn to embrace. Some things are too broken to be covered. My journey has taught me the importance of both, and I’m figuring out when to accept the cracks as harmless beauty and when to fix them because they represent structural vulnerability."