How do you explain a feeling?

Welcome to my exhibition, How Do You Explain a Feeling? The title is a reflection of the struggle I’ve faced throughout this project. From the beginning, the concept underwent several transformations, initially exploring themes of nostalgia, connection, and the shared emotions that photography can evoke. I wanted to create images that stirred a sense of familiarity in strangers, asking the question: Is it possible to feel nostalgia for something you’ve never experienced?

But as I delved deeper, I realised that nostalgia, or any feeling, is not something I want to force. Each viewer brings their own history, and no single image will speak to everyone in the same way. This realisation somewhat changed the direction of my work. I stopped trying to evoke a specific emotion and focused on capturing moments that held meaning to me—images taken for myself, rather than to fit an abstract theme.

My creative process became less about curating a particular feeling and more about allowing the photographs to exist for what they are. As I let go of trying to control the outcome, I found a new freedom in my work. This exhibition is not the result of a clear-cut theme, but rather a collection of moments that resonated with me on a personal level, even when I couldn’t fully articulate why.

During this time of reflection, I embarked on a solo journey that significantly shaped my perspective. While traveling, I found myself far from the support systems I relied on, navigating both the physical distance and the emotional isolation that came with it. It was a challenging time—one where I often struggled to stay connected to the original concept. In my isolation, I began to understand how much of my own sense of nostalgia is tied to the people, places, and memories that ground me. As I tried to reconcile these feelings on foreign ground, I realised how differently others might perceive my work—without the context or the same emotional backdrop.

Returning home after that journey brought me a renewed sense of clarity. I revisited the original concept, but this time with a deeper and different understanding. My initial prompt took on new significance. Much of what I explore, both in life and in my photography, exists in the balance between the present and the past, between the tangible and the emotional.

Ultimately, this exhibition isn't about providing answers. It’s about inviting you to explore, feel, and interpret in your own way. Whether or not these images instil nostalgia for you, I hope they stir something—however brief or lasting—in your own journey of feeling.