Artist Statement
J Davies’ collection of 35mm photographs offers a behind-closed-doors glimpse into the ways in which we exist and interact in our safe spaces, more specifically our beds. From homestays in Dalat, Vietnam to sharehouse bedrooms across Naarm’s inner northern suburbs — the artist invites those looking in to consider the ways in which they value intimacy. The bed is a sentimental site; inviting, welcoming, warm. A space for rest and relaxation, a home for our passion and pleasure. J offers these glimpses to the audience, asking them to ponder upon their own intimate relationships with and within their beds.
Biography
J Davies (b.1994) is a multidisciplinary takataapui artist respectfully doing mahi on stolen lands of The Kulin Nation in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Their ongoing archiving of contemporary queer existence in the city of Naarm cultivates connection to community and culture whilst considering themes of identity, intimacy and neurodivergency. With a uniquely personal perspective; J documents their own life behind-closed-doors and invites their audience and collaborators to collectively contemplate the ways in which we view and value intimacy within our lives.
In 2021, J was diagnosed with a processing disorder that shed light on their difficulty with timelines and distinguishing dreams from memories. In 2022, J published their first book Half of My Whole Life Was Just a Dream which explores the connectedness of consciousness and subconsciousness.