House Of The Rising Sun

A loosely titled personal ongoing project by Matthew Wareley.

During 2014 I had experienced quite an intense change in my life. I was blessed to have someone in my life at the time that constantly reassured me that it is ok for me to feel everything I felt, and helped me realize that I needed to run towards it, face it boldly and embrace it, as opposed to running from it. Through this I was able to work with and deal with my pain in a way that sent me on a journey of self-discovery and self-love.

During this time I discovered the Japanese art of Kintsukuroi:

Kintsukuroi, (v.phr) meaning “to repair with gold”; is a Japanese art form of repairing broken pottery by joining the broken pieces with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. With the idea that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. 

The philosophy behind this resonated with me and inspired me, even more, as an artist to not hide or dismiss the pain and heartbreak I felt but rather showcase my “cracks” and to put the pieces back together in a beautiful way that not only benefits me but those around me and those in similar spaces as well.

During this time I found a strange comfort being in and observing abandoned spaces. Buildings, schools, pools, sports grounds, and more. Always only subconsciously aware of this feeling, one night it came to me in words -

ABANDONED BUILDINGS

There’s something about abandoned buildings
I hear the cries, and the joy, that once was, in its silence 
My heart resonates with the mess left behind by those that have come and gone

I feel a sense of wholeness as I walk through their broken walls

Maybe because in that moment, I’m not the only one in pieces, I’m not the only one abandoned.

Maybe because in that moment, I’m not the only one in pieces, I’m not the only one still standing.

- M Wareley

This ongoing series is an ode to my past self, who I am becoming, an ode to my pain and an ode to my journey of self-discovery and self-love, an ode to my new self, my growth and ascension and everything in-between.

And as importantly; abandoned spaces.