Dominique Hunter b . Guyana 1987 ; works in Georgetown
We Meet Here , I to XII , 2017 Digital photography collage Courtesy of the artist
Dominique Hunter moves in and out of several geographic spaces for artist residencies and opportunities , yet she is vocal about rooting her practice in Guyana , a country defined by the ebb and flow of departure : “ There is an expectation once you have reached a certain age : pack what you can and leave . I am well past that age , yet I remain , stubbornly rooted in the land my parents spent their lives cultivating .”
The artist engages “ rootedness ” in We Meet Here where twelve distinct photographs are displayed in a grid composition . Via digital collage , Hunter layers organic imagery reminiscent of Guyana ’ s lush vegetation found on the seawall of its Atlantic Coast . Within each individual work , two things are a constant presence : a white silhouette self-referential figure and a green morning glory plant that thrives amidst extreme elements of temperature wind , water , and sand . Questioning what it means to navigate the space between being rooted in one land and transplanted to another , Hunter states , “ The morning glory plant could be likened to those of us who , while rooted in a very particular space , find relief and discomfort at the cusp of both here and there .”