- CollegeCentral Saint Martins
- CourseMA Fine Art
- Graduation year2023
The Chaos Dimension is the second cosmos in the ‘MaybeArt Universe’, exploring themes relating to my neurodivergence and finding peace amidst internal conflict.
I am building my own world called the ‘MaybeArt Universe’ which explores social and personal issues whilst adopting surreal and spiritual concepts through film, installation, painting and digital media. I intend to use these fictional universes to elevate my ideas of self, culture, heritage and identity.
I view my works as portals to the worlds I create, where I imagine life beyond oppressive structures and aim to unleash the unconscious. The first realm within my universe is called the New Age Matrix: An African sci-fi narrative inspired by the original matrix trilogy.
My research examines the work of hypnotherapist Micheal Newton who believes our conscious mind holds an in-built amnesia to prevent us from remembering the spirit realm residing in our 'superconscious' and the role sacred circular art plays in healing and elevating consciousness.
Final work
My Collapsing Circular World Trailer
(I wrote, directed, co-edited and produced this film)
My Collapsing Circular World is a sci-fi mockumentary existing in the Chaos Dimension. The short film is set in my dreamworld, where four PhD Cosmology students from MaybeArt University stumble upon a portal and seek the assistance of Teniola Studio to document their discovery. Unknown to them, the portal represents my ‘superconscious’ and each character represents a different version of myself. As Yas enters the portal, she becomes self-aware and appears to lose touch with her reality, gradually descending into a state of madness as she attempts to persuade the rest of the group to enter. Her behaviour is a reflection of her heightened self-awareness and her deep connection to the superconscious. Her perspective and experiences make it difficult for others to comprehend or relate to her.
Newton's theories delve into the existence of three circles within our minds: the conscious, unconscious, and superconscious. According to Newton, our conscious mind possesses an in-built amnesia that prevents us from remembering the spirit realm. However, through the superconscious, we can access this realm and uncover our true identities and possibly be the soul itself. Occasionally, messages from our unconscious are transmitted to us through dreams.
Please contact me at yasminteniola@gmail.com to preview an excerpt of the film
Chaos, Richmond's Heart
Acrylic, oil & clay on wood, 120 x 120 cm
The people in our lives are part of our soul groups. In the spirit realm, we plan to meet each other on Earth and help each other become the individuals we are meant to be.
I use green to represent Richmond’s ‘inner-skin’, symbolising the heart chakra as it governs the love we have for ourselves and others. I incorporate pink to evoke feelings of femininity and playfulness.
Chaos, Edima's Magic
Acrylic, oil & clay on wood, 120 x 120 cm
Many black women, including myself, have a complex relationship with their hair. I suffer from alopecia and have experienced sporadic hair breakage since childhood.
The initial experience was devastating. However, at the age of 21, I embraced it and chose not to wear a wig. Instead, I dyed my buzz cut blonde. This decision made me feel confident, and I fully embraced the style. Although I am facing recent breakage, I am not saddened by the prospect of cutting it again. Going bald is no longer a heart-wrenching experience for me.
I honour Edima for her daring hair and makeup choices in Nigeria. She fearlessly embraces her ethereal nature, adorning herself with bold makeup looks and daring hairstyles. I chose the colour purple to reflect her inner skin, which mirrors her aura—intuitive and psychic.
Acrylic and mirror on wood, text on acetate, January 2023
Inspired by Art Practice as Fictioning by Simon O'Sullivan, I created a story that blurred the lines of where reality begins and fictioning ends, lodging my story into the real and transforming reality.
I created a scenario where the ‘box’ is a found object from the Chaos Dimension. This sparked the idea for my short film.
Research and process
Chaos, Ritual
I directed and edited this piece
Opening a portal to the chaos dimension using a mirror, I use positions that mimic the Islamic praying positions to perform this ritual. Paint pouring is a chaotic and messy process - suggestive of how I feel when I am overwhelmed. The experience is all about what I make happen in that moment, where I pour the paint and how I move it. I am recreating the emotions I feel when I am overwhelmed to metaphorically take control of the ‘chaos’. It has become a meditative ritual for me and opens a portal to the chaos dimension that lives on my chosen canvas. The paint swirls represent the fabric of the chaos dimension that lives on my chosen canvas. The paint swirls represent the fabric of the chaos dimension.
Inspired by using the senses in portal-making to transform ordinary reality to alternate reality, I used the chant I created that mimics the ‘chaos’ from my mind and made it part of the ritual. Once I start the paint pouring the noises stop.
To create the chant: using my private journals, I created dada poems which I recited & overlayed with some of the demoralising thoughts I've had, some affirmations I say to myself and sound bites I enjoy ie. Rupaul’s drag race.
