Terra Incognita, Latin for unknown land, was a phrase originally used in cartography to describe uncharted territory. These mysterious places signified the presence of wild beasts and endless possibilities, something terrifying, yet worth exploring. This series of narrative animal images draws on the idea delving into the unknown, and of self-discovery and self-knowledge by way of finding connection with the natural world.

 

I started this series – based on historical symbolism, literature, and my own experiences with wild animals – while attending a residency in Iceland, where I was reminded of growing up in an isolated and harsh northern climate, and much easier it is to feel a sense of the sublime in such a place. I was also reminded of how deeply connected we are to stories about animals, and how intertwined are the realms of imagination and reality when we feel close to nature. I wanted to explore through these images an in-between state of truth and memory, and celebrate the unknown and uncontrollable elements of the natural world, using themes of biodiversity, extinction and extirpation, resiliency, and interconnectedness to evoke a sense of the fantastical and absurd. Questions of monstrousness, humanity, physicality, sustainability, transcendentalism, and sense of place informs the content for this series.