Photographer: Sarah Ejionye
Ariel Collier explores the creation of heartfelt and inclusive spaces through a presentation and group discussion in this collaborative workshop.
She reflects on the meaning of alienation, the irony embedded in ‘safe space’ language, and her approach to curating intimate gatherings and expressions. Ariel shares poems from her collection Messy alongside selected photographs and collages as ‘evidence’ of hearts touching.
Participants are invited to respond creatively, writing about their most intimate or tumultuous moments with friends, lovers, and community. The session ends with a collective writing exercise, where lines from these reflections are gathered into a shared manifesto on what it means to connect authentically, despite contradiction, conflict, or disappointment.
Ariel Collier (she/they/we/our) is an artist, writer, researcher and curator currently based in London originally from South Florida
Collier’s work challenges alienation and estrangement, using multiple mediums (such as tufting, poetry and photography) and socially engaged practices to shift global understandings of black queer culture towards our inner worlds, reflections and interconnections.
Collier is the founder of Home Studio, a nomadic space dedicated to the promotion, empowerment and development of queer and trans global majority artists by hosting workshops, CRITS, making sessions and exhibitions.