Judith Salmon’s solo exhibition brought home to self

‘Home to Self’ was a beautifully staged exhibition which showcased a significant body of work by artist Judith Salmon. For her, it is a meditative, introspective journey; for the viewer, it is a prolific output of captivating canvases, textile installations, mixed media assemblages, prints, wax sculpted objects, and much more.

“Judith Salmon consistently experiments and excels across multiple genres. Her ability to move seamlessly between different artistic disciplines has earned her recognition as a multi-genre artist, known for producing evocative and mesmerising pieces,” said Opal Palmer Adissa.

Drawing from common themes, from the diasporic experience, motherhood, spiritual self, ancestry, journeys, culture to the passage of history, Salmon engaged a complex array of ideas and motifs. Experimenting with unusual materials and techniques developed over the decades, Judith executes her art-making differently, that’s what sets her apart and makes her work profound and fascinating.

Travellers All is a reference to the long trek by foot that the enslaved took to the forts on the west African coast. Thirty pairs of life-size feet, sculpted in wax (“It took two hours, sitting still to mould one pair”, Salmon said). Feet are symbolic of journey, these are laid out in pairs, symmetrically, on a floor of sand. For the artist “it speaks simultaneously of presence and void, what is and what was”.

Salmon’s lifelong fascination with fabrics is evident in the mastery of her textile installations. The labour of creation is seen in every piece. crocheting, embroidery, hand-stitching. Pockets of Memory, with its multitude of small, crocheted pockets delicately connected by threads is suspended from the ceiling. Tactile, visitors are encouraged to interact with the work, leaving personal notes in the pockets. Reframing Pockets of Memory continues this theme, inviting viewers to write messages - “The women of Italy live their life surrounded by threads, textiles. Threads really speak to me. Your work speaks to me,” writes one viewer, directly onto the artwork.

Also on exhibit were series of mixed media prints, including Mother, Mother I, II and III, developed on paper using recycled linoleum overworked with mono type printing with small woodcut hearts printed on fabric.

Then there are the acrylic paintings, several are exhibited, including the large triptych series Imprint, Witness and Emerging, with their rich, vibrant colours layered with collage and inscriptions, barely visible, drawing you in to closely examine and interpret the presence of the lone female, the recurring image of the slave ship, the turmoil of brilliant blue and of enduring earthy browns.

Crossroads I, Il and III is an interesting piece, displaying three crude wooden crosses embellished with beads and rusty, beaten bottle caps.

Judith’s latest work, Cultural Sliders, features an intense series of small mixed media paintings on canvas exploring cultural habits, practices and influences from other cultures and identities, mainly from North America.