KATHERINE CROSSLEY

My work focuses on bringing the struggles of the unhoused population to light. As someone who has experienced homelessness, I understand the difficulties that come with it. There is a lingering misconception that homeless individuals just woke up one day and chose to abuse drugs. I seek to dispel this misconception, returning dignity to the people presented in my narrative.

I use woodburning, or pyrography, for a few reasons. Pyrography is a primitive art form used by nomadic people that lived in similar conditions to the homeless people that I am depicting. I felt that it elevated these people from degenerate “street people” to nomadic people by using this art form to depict them. I am also interested in the irony of the medium, as it is normally used to portray very beautiful, visually appealing scenes. Instead of these, I will be detailing offensive, disturbing statements, disgusting places, trash, addiction, poverty, and the lowest members of society.

“By confronting society’s unwillingness to acknowledge their biases towards the homeless population, I hope to inspire people to view homeless people differently. My aim is to show a different perspective on this social issue as well as uplift these individuals to the highest social status. I chose the title, “Hiraeth”, which is a “homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, or even a home that never existed at all.”