Jîyan

Melbourne Art Review: Thanks Leila for chatting with us, can you tell us a bit about the Melbourne Fringe exhibition Jîyan?
 Leila Lois: Jîyan (meaning ‘life’ and also the stem of the word ‘jîn’, ‘woman’ in Kurdish) is an immersive exhibition exploring the sacred, life-giving connection of womxn to nature. This is a multi-sensory experience with performances and workshops running over the weekend, produced by a diverse collective, including dancer / choreographer of Kurdish Celtic origin, Leila Lois and photographer / curator, Michaela Meadow. We seek to rebalance diverse femme vision & voices in art while celebrating nature.
 Jîyan is part of Critical Mass, ‘A crowding of crucial ideas at Brunswick Mechanics Institute, Siteworks and Testing Grounds during Melbourne Fringe.’ Our key themes are ‘honey & wildfire; softness & strength’ as we aspire to create a space for diverse voices and visions celebrating nature & connection in times where these things can seem overlooked. Leila (producer) and Michaela (curator) have been collaborating on femme arts events such as moon rituals, dance performances & exhibitions since they met at a life drawing class last year. Their shared vision to celebrate the femme gaze and connection with nature unified them instantly on first meeting. We believe in sharing your passion and skills with others; we can all collectively and individually learn and grow from artistic collaboration. 

We have Māori, Wakka Wakka Wiradjeri, Kurdish, Cypriot, Welsh, Cree… such a diverse group of perspectives and practices. They are all passionate about celebrating their vital connection with nature through their art. MAR: Amazing, what has been a highlight from this process so far? LL: Collaborating with other femme artists with a shared vision to nurture what nurtures us and use our voices. Many of the artists have cross collaborated, being muses for one another’s work and sharing process. MAR: What has been challenging about putting this show together? LL: Getting funding to do your art in socially and culturally responsive ways. Apply for every opportunity that speaks to your values and ethics as a group. It is important that you consider this. MAR: Do you have a favourite space in Melbourne? LL: SITEWORKS! And beautiful Kulin land at Merricreek. The first has been very supportive of the project and the second is a wonderful place to relax & restore. MAR: What are you working on next? LL: Taking Jîyan on tour to Tasmania/ Aotearoa & possibly other parts of the country. You can find out more about Jîyan here or follow them on Instagram here.