The unspoken conversation : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

Prayer is a common practice for devotional purposes, and each person could find their own individual reason to do it including expressing their wishes, asking for blessing, and sharing their hopes and fears. As a practice that requires faith, because it is invisible and difficult to explain logically, it is understandable that this practice is often neglected. I was raised in a Catholic family and my parents taught me about the practice of prayer since I can remember. Guided by my parents, I prayed with them every night before bed. As I grew older and became more mature, I found my own reason for continuing this practice. Because I believe this practice has shaped my personality in a positive way and make my life better, I would like to share my perspectives on prayer through this master’s research as I think that this subject is still relevant in modern society. Based on my previous experience as a sculptor and reflecting on my personal faith and prayer, I intend to visualize the meaning of prayer for me. I have explored several approaches to making, beginning with detailed figurative works and experimenting with video works, until I ended up with the simpler visual expression for the final installation. Aluminium foil and charcoal were explored and selected as the primary materials for the final artworks because of their appearance and the metaphorical and symbolic meanings associated with each material.