“Somewhere in Nowhere” is a series of unique silver gelatin prints that explore the theme of hiraeth, defined as a homesickness for a home that no longer exists. Artificial Chinook arches are created through the application of hand-blown glass plates during the printing process; a symbol of home and belonging, regardless of geography, seasonal timing, or other factors. In contrast, the landscape is impossible and mundane, consisting of views across Alberta that cannot be traced back to a single place. The finished photographs are ‘nowhere’ places that are made ‘somewhere’ by the desire to find any familiar glimpses of home.

My work utilizing hand-blown glass and the silver gelatin photographic process allows me to visualize the intangible dialogue that occurs between a person and the place they love. The bittersweet sublimity that I express is distinct from the breathtaking wonder of travelling to a place for the first time. The sublimity I see in the Albertan landscape is born from the limitless potential of its natural phenomena and the nuance of emotions that occur from revisiting a familiar location but never being able to return to the same place. My artwork distills this sublimity into pieces that are both memento and vessel; a part of home to take with me and a declaration of belonging.