CLEMENT BOLAND
Artist and Facilitator
Drawing on my experiences in the British Army during deployment in Afghanistan, my work examines tensions between conformity and dissent, belonging and alienation, the state and the individual. I am particularly interested in exploring the disconnect between historical and contemporary representations of ‘the soldier’ and the lived experience of war.
As well as picking up on the iconography and language of the military, my work also draws in related interests in space, history, nature and childhood. I use ephemera, keepsakes and paperwork assemblages, combined with more traditional printmaking and sculpture. Informed by archival experience and my passion for history, I am interested in how we can present information to the public. I also have experience in researching and planning for events, workshops and exhibitions.
Making art has given me a language to process my own experiences. I am passionate about creating space for others to find their own languages of expression, and I plan to do this through running workshops drawing on my experience, as well as creating my own works.
Exhibitions I have contributed to include The Art of Recovery (Bethlem Museum of the Mind), Wounded: Conflict, Casualties and Care (The Science Museum) and the Armed Forces Art Society Annual Show (Mall Galleries). I have contributed writing to the Hastings Independent Press and to Janice Lobban's 'Art Therapy with Military Veterans'. I have also been featured in recent work by Stuart Griffiths (PhD).
