Home–coming

“Home–coming” is my photographic exploration of Calgary, rooted in my experience of migration. It explores how time and the medium of photography can be used to generate new memories and make new roots in a place that is not yet home. This camera-led exploration has helped expand my sense of belonging, allowing me to embrace the here and now and transform my perceptions of Canada, making it feel like a “home.”

I am influenced by Pictorialist photographers of the late nineteenth century. Metaphorically, this experimental process parallels my experience as an immigrant in Canada; it takes time and needs patience and frustration-tolerance, but it opens new territories to discover. This intensive and immersive process has offered me artistic and emotional control over developing my photographic images. I am using my hand and rendering each print a unique image that cannot be reproduced, even when printed from the same negative. Photographic images, and specifically Platinum prints, are very stable, but memories are not. We might recall some memories accurately, while some parts have been changed or forgotten. Similar to my experience, these photographs live on a threshold, existing between incompleteness and becoming whole.

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About Platinum Palladium Print

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Platinum palladium printing is a traditional photographic process that predates silver gelatin prints. It involves exposing photosensitive paper to UV light, which was originally sunlight. The prints, developed using a combination of platinum and palladium metals, offer a unique quality that sets them apart from contemporary printing methods. One notable feature is the remarkable tonal range they capture. Platinum palladium prints excel at rendering delicate details and a full spectrum of grays, making them a favourite among photographers seeking nuanced and rich images. Moreover, their longevity is a key highlight. These prints resist fading and deterioration, with many antique platinum palladium prints surviving for centuries, preserving the visual history of their time.