symbiotic

To view more of my work please visit www.soilsoul.ca.

Taja Arya Jinnah’s practice plays with functionality, familiarity and queerness through interactive sculpture and everyday ceramica. The transformation of human/nonhuman bodies is studied using clay, performance and tactile engagement. The ties of clay to creation mythologies of human and nonhuman bodies uniquely suits it to the building of these forms. The making process involves traditional ceramic hand-building techniques, stim behaviour, and the use of found objects as tools. Often the work begins by being built directly onto the body which can be physically intense, sometimes forcing the artist into abnormal contortions. Their traditional functional-ware explores enhancement of community interaction and is immediately comfortable to the hand, whereas the interactive sculptures are non-intuitive and tread between comfort and discomfort. The forms modify sensorial experience and examine how objects affect our movements, or take on a life of their own. This exploration of functionality relates to living with a disability, and draws on the queer art of failure. Learning to see the complex symbiosis in disability, as well as a deep investment in and love for diverse bodies and communities was an emphasis throughout the work.

Past projects include experience in outdoor installations and social practice that have involved training in sustainable methods of making with a focus on community resilience.

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