ESSSENSSSE began when HOSSEI became fascinated by the sand dollar sea creatures— their shape, features, and how in mediaeval times it was truly believed that sand dollars were mermaid currency. When looking at the sand dollar, HOSSEI realised that if you were to remove the physical characteristics of a human body, you would be left with a mouth and an anus, just like the sand dollar. It is this idea that compelled HOSSEI to make the sand dollar an emblem of the show. An entry point and an exit, not just with food, but in the sense of discerning which energies come through and nourish the insides, and which are let out. ESSSENSSSE is about letting go and being one with the spirit, and embracing its purity and vulnerability.
ESSSENSSSE is an aquatic ecosystem that explores the tenacity of the human spirit, stripping away corporeal human qualities and revealing what’s underneath. ESSSENSSSE is the third instalment to what HOSSEI calls his “sister shows,” O, presented at UTS Gallery & Art Collection (NSW) in 2023, and later THUNDERBLOOM at West Space (VIC) in 2023. Where O focused on the physical body, being up in the air and in transit, and THUNDERBLOOM looked at the human psyche, the weather in the mind, a stormy night – ESSSENSSSE is the next morning, the BODY, MIND, SPIRIT after a big night, looking at the sea for new beginnings.
Visit the ESSSENSSSE website here.
