Artist Statement

My practice engages with sensory perception and environmental interaction. Developing strong connections to land and the environment, I often draw upon the sonic landscape and its visualisation.

From digital imagery through to interactive installation, my practice arises out of an analytical foundation to conceptualise, and then realise, ideas and projects. My home, on the lands of the Wakka Wakka nation, informs my practice. In recent years, my practice has become entwined with my rediscovery of identity, after my sense of self was lost due to extreme illness and memory fragmentation. This, alongside my personal exploration of sensory immersion, active observation, deep listening and experimentation, is shaped by my journey living with disability.

During my recovery from a brain infection and subsequent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, I had to relearn to walk and speak. In many ways I was faced with the death of my former self. The grief of losing the person I was before illness was overwhelming, and returning to my practice with a renewed focus helped me to find optimism for my future, regaining lost confidence. The work I have made since 2017, reflects this ongoing journey, and adapts to my changeable limitations.

Cara-Ann Simpson is represented by Onespace, Brisbane.
Images: Cara-Ann Simpson, artworks from Furari Flores (Stealing Flowers) produced in 2021.