Uprooted

Uprooted

By Malik Dieleman

How does the past affect the future? How has my past led me to where I am today?

No matter which direction I go, there’s no way to abandon the experiences that have formed my identity. I look at roots as symbols of these life experiences: the foundations of human identity. While they are underground and unseen, roots continue to nurture growth. However, not all roots are permanent. Through every time of transition, or uprooting, some will break off.

I grew up moving frequently, transplanted from one place to another. Like the cross-section of a tree trunk, the past becomes exposed during times of transition. I have the chance to selfreflect. Many of my roots are different from each other, accustomed to different soils. As they shape me, I reshape them, too, with my fractured and selective memory. But some roots can’t be broken. These ones are permanent, forever affecting my future.

Bronze casting allows for the fragile, organic shapes of roots to find permanence. The process allows for a high level of detail to be reproduced, with the patina emphasizing them. I chose to display the piece beside broken tree roots as a way to contrast the temporary and the permanent. I imagine these roots as a part of myself, as if in a moment of uprooting, exposed for everyone to see.

Nature can be a beautiful tool to help us understand humanity.

Malik Dieleman is a Toronto-based photographer and multidisciplinary artist. Having grown up internationally between France, Senegal, and Canada, he carries with him a complex multi-cultural identity. With an interest in the arts, he studied at Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD). Today, Malik manages a freelance business providing photography, videography, and graphic design services.

Instagram: @malikdieleman_artist Website: malikdieleman.com