bio.

Indigo Azidahaka (pronouns They/Them/Theirs) was born in Macclesfield in 1997 and raised in Altea. They are currently based in Northern Ireland and studying at the Belfast School of Art.

artist statement.

I am multi disciplinary artist. I use a variety of mediums to create everything from short stories to full installations to performance art. I specialise in sculptural oil paintings, which push the idea of what an oil painting can be. My effect on the environment is an extremely important part of my creative process. I make a lot of my paints from recycled and locally sourced materials, making pigments from plants which I hand forage. I use ground glass as a binder to create texture and manipulate light. As part of my practice I ensure none of the waste left from my work goes to landfill by absorbing it into the work. I’ve found ways to recycle so much none recyclable plastic in my work I am now regularly collecting it from local businesses in order to prevent landfill waste.

My practice is informed by queer identity, disabled bodies, accessibility, and displacement. Within the work I explore society and the human condition, isolating key behaviours and rituals and analysing their cause and affect through absurdity. I consider a concept, then a message, levels of immersion, and the audiences reaction. My pieces have a long conceptual journey before becoming physically tangiable. I consider the process and the pieces affect on the audience the most important part of the work i create. Often my work is about showing people inside my head to try to communicate to people the way i see things as an autistic person who experiences mental health issues and physical disability. My installations are created with the intention of making the audience feel, i attempt to put them in an emotional state which leaves them more open to hearing and receiving the message within the pieces. The meanings, messages, and themes in my work are based around my experiences.