How does it feel?

aurelie guichard postscript

How does it feel? is a reflection of the past year: our sudden state of confusion, our fear of isolation, my journey from doubt to belief, and despair to relief. It is both a positive and hopeful take on the lockdown which compelled us to pause and stay still.

Being stuck at home, I chose to go inward and search for inner truth. I became the introvert I never knew I was. The confinement of my bedroom was the ideal place to contemplate my body and my thoughts. Bedrooms are a safe place, a sanctuary from the violence of the world. They are also spaces for idleness and escape, where we can let all the contradictions of the self run free.

Every day for two months, I took one picture documenting the mood I was currently experiencing, and wrote an accompanying word/sentence/paragraph. Self-portraiture is new to me. It was a challenge to be in front of the camera, but also a way to let go of any need for control.

How does it feel? is both a cinematic and poetic journey to self-care and self-love. The series can be experienced as a diptych: similar settings that illustrate the sameness of days, weeks… and two moods that mirror each other.

Click through the images for full size

Aurélie Guichard is French-born and currently Lisbon-based, after living in London for 12 years. She taught herself how to take pictures during a trip to Thailand in 2015. Experimenting with the camera made her understand the power of storytelling: why a country looks the way it does, who its people are, what their stories are… writing came soon after. Guichard’s work showcases unique narratives and captures a moment, an emotion. She created Small Eyes Big City, an online publication that delves into culture and politics through traveling, in an attempt to share stories and understand the many layers of life. Some of Guichard’s projects have been exhibited at Numbi Art Festivals. Her “The Revolution of the thread and needle,” a series of Mardi Gras Indians portraits, was showcased at Black South, exploring the legacy of the Afro-American southern culture to open a discussion on forced mass movements and identity construction.

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Two Postcards

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Two Poems