HaMa Woods: DEAD JUNGLE
04.05.17-28.05.17 (Galleri A)
OPENING THURSDAY THE 4TH OF MAY AT 6PM. WELCOME!
The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala, meaning uncultivated land. The term is prevalent in many languages, and is commonly used to refer to the plant growth replacing primeval forest or to the unkempt tropical vegetation that takes over abandoned areas. The vegetation is sufficiently dense to obstruct movement by humans.
The word "jungle" itself carries connotations of untamed and uncontrollable nature and isolation from civilization, along with the emotions that evokes: threat, confusion, powerlessness, disorientation and immobilization. Because jungles occur on all inhabited landmasses and may incorporate numerous vegetation and land types, the wildlife of jungles cannot be defined and consists of the biota of the land type and region.
As a metaphor, jungle often refers to situations that are unruly or lawless, or where the only law is perceived to be "survival of the fittest". The term "The Law of the Jungle" is also used in a similar context, drawn fromRudyard Kipling´s, The Jungle Book (1894) — though in the society of jungle animals portrayed in that book are obviously meant as a metaphor for human society. The phrase referred to is an intricate code of laws which Kipling describes in detail, and not at all to a lawless chaos.
Welcome to the Jungle!
HaMa’s (b.1981) work demonstrates a reverence for nature and its immediate connection to humanity.
In a search for methods to communicate the importance and ‘revival of nature’,
HaMa’s work intuitively reflects and focuses on a sociological approach to greed and human consumption and its direct effect on our natural environment.
Her works are characterized by the use of hand cut, multi-layered stencils which are applied by spray paint and gradually taking root in public and private spaces in and around Oslo. While her work is open for examination, HaMa’s hope is to empower and challenge viewers to come to their own conclusions and to rethink the choices they make which effects today and tomorrow.
