Chelsea Selvan is a Johannesburg-based visual artist who spent Season 5 interning at The Centre for the Less Good Idea.

In the artist’s words: “My process of creation is often triggered through the recollection of memories – creating an intricate collage of the space, objects and moments that one engages with on a daily basis. During lockdown, my art making has gone through many moments: exploring ideas and thoughts, experimenting, stagnation, lack of inspiration, laziness and self doubt to a somewhat confident trust and flow. My natural instinct is to work in collage. Give me an old magazine or newspaper and my intuition takes over and I begin tearing up pieces and placing them carefully yet spontaneously with little thought but at the same time a lot of thought or, rather; a deep inner knowing of where the bits and pieces belong. I find this process is the only time when I am not thinking too much or analyzing and then over-analyzing everything around me. I sometimes envy those who seem to sail through life without considering and pulling everything to pieces. Yet, Socrates’ words about the unexamined life not being worth living are something I truly believe.

During lockdown I’ve been working with the concept of ‘things I see but rarely notice’ as a springboard to spark the beginning of my making – hence the chair in this collage. This time in lockdown has forced me to truly notice the so-called mundane objects we encounter but don’t fully see. I have taken snippets of words and sentences from my journaling and play with that in this stop motion as a way to hint at things I am feeling.”

Concept & Creation | Chelsea Selvan
Curator of The Long Minute | Bronwyn Lace