In The Dark 2 - Aphra Shemza

Summary

Aphra Shemza, a light and multimedia artist, introduces her practice and her role as co-founder of Art in Flux, a charity that supports artists working with technology. She begins with her grandfather, the painter and sculptor Anwar Jalal Shemza, whose fusion of Western modernism and Islamic geometry provides a deep wellspring for her own visual language. Shemza explains that, unlike screen-based coders, she works with real materials such as wood, metal and plastic, often combining traditional sculpture with interactivity through Arduino and Raspberry Pi systems that respond to sound and movement. Her series include infinity mirror compositions, sound-responsive LED totems, and the "Current Climate" installation, which links reclaimed timber logs to live climate-related news via the internet. The talk turns on her recent Arts Council residency, "Solutions for a Sustainable Art Practice," where she learns to use reclaimed timber, recycle low- and high-density polyethylene into artworks, and document the process on her website to encourage other artists. Shemza acknowledges that the technology side of sustainability, including renewable energy and modular components, remains to be explored, but makes mindful material choice and waste reduction central to her future direction, and offers workshops to share what she has learned.

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