Year: 2020

4 years ago

‘hai’ lights : labyrinth’ began as a reinvestment in my career –
a reimagining of the original idea, exploring the possibilities it offered
It was a breaking free of limitations on all levels, following my creative impulses –
feeling compelled to see my ideas come to life –
It began a journey of liberation, setting myself free from the traps I found myself in –
an inner journey outwardly manifested.

Gyo-zo* was such a champion of this work, his encouragement and unwavering support on all levels made it possible for me to be brave –
So 4 years ago this month, I set out to see if I could make this idea work the way I had envisioned it. I had an iPad, a $200 Sony action cam and an 8 year old hand me down laptop, no phone, no wifi, no internet, super lo-tech and about as far from tech savvy as you can get.
So many days I wondered what I was doing, seriously?
Out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains shovelling snow, seemingly endless shovelling – planting piano wire and rice paper collages into pool noodles on a frozen pond – really Louise?????
And then I would go out the following day and see something exquisite –
crystals on the paper shining like diamonds in the sun – blue sky days, grey days, soft breezes, harsh winds, snowfall – I was surprised everyday by the unexpected ways that nature interacted with the work – surprised and delighted –
‘hai’ lights brought joy back into my life in wonderful and unforeseen ways –

I learned so much that winter from both the work and the weather, my collaborator –
but if I were to sum it up in one word, it would be reclamation –
reclaiming my creativity, my autonomy, my joy, myself really –

This series holds a special place in my heart –
these unique little expressions of light and liberation.
Throughout the month of December cultural and spiritual traditions around the globe celebrate light in beautiful and meaninful ways. So I thought I would reintroduce this piece, ‘hai’ lights : labyrinth, share it again as a reminder of the light that at our core we all are – and to remember to let it shine no matter what.


‘hai lights : labyrinth December 2016 – February 2017 Blaeberry Valley BC Canada

I leave you with a little Leonard Cohen from ‘Anthem’

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack, a crack in everything
that’s how the light gets in –
that’s how the light gets in –

Here’s to the cracks in all of our lives that lets the light in –
peace, peace, and more peace

Louise
Okori

December 2020

*R. Gyo-zo Spickett
http://www.artnet.com/artists/ronald-john-spickett/
https://www.gallerieswest.ca/news/ron-gyo-zo-spickett/

an invitation to pause

‘the breath’ detail

It’s hard to believe that 3 months have gone by since my last post. Life has both slowed down and whizzed by simultaneously – strange –
all of it strange – yet in someways that strangeness has opened up a world of possibilities previously unavailable – witnessing the unfolding is its own adventure – staying in a state of open curiosity, singing a little Doris Day –
‘que sera sera, whatever will be, will be,
the future’s not ours to see, que sera sera…. ‘

I posted the following on my IG account as well, so if you are signed up there this is basically a repeat.

The creative process has its own rhythms – each project its own unfolding – there’s no ‘making it happen’ there is only waiting for the expression to show up and getting ready to create it when it does. It’s easy to be impatient, hard to stay out of the way, harder yet to relinquish control –
as if I ever had any!

I have made many attempts to create the breathing meditation video with the footage that I shot in late August, nothing has felt satisfactory –
I’ve had to step back and wait for the form it was going to take to show up – in other words for inspiration – ‘inspirare’ – the breath!

Being in my yard, putting the garden to bed, being outside, ‘playing in the dirt’, was the perfect antidote for exhausted eyes, overwhelmed brain, and sore body from sitting and screen time and scrutinizing reams of footage –

And in that stepping back what I saw was that rather than one 10 minute guided meditation video, which is what I thought it would be, the piece would instead unfold gradually over time, little visual meditations everyday no formulas, no formats –
just mini moments of beauty, breath and being –

I have no idea how many I will do or how long it can be sustained, I will be making them as I go and will continue until it comes to completion or morphs into something else. I’m thinking daily but that may be a bit ambitious, given the many things on my plate – we’ll see –
I’m curious to see how it all unfolds

This is an invitation to pause, to bring awareness to our breath – to calm, to ground, to restore –
little daily injections of peace in a chaotic environment

Enjoy
en joie
Louise
Okori

November 29th 2020


‘a daily breath’ video sketch 2020

What’s next?

8 months ago did we know that we would be where we are now? Not likley!
And where is that exactly?

There are so many different points of view and levels of experience – everyone navigating both personal and universal changes with both local and global implications –
none of this feels small, or ordinary or like anything remotely recognizable – mostly it feels like overload and overwhelm.
The word that keeps coming to mind that seems to sum it all up –
I know not really possible – but sort of – is transformation
And creativity is at the heart of transformation – chaos is the call

One of the ways I’ve personally answered that call has been by rethinking, reworking a painting that I made in the late ’90’s during the AIDS pandemic. Its a painting about breathing.
I opened an Instagram account and have been sharing this work as well as my process on that platform. I invite you to come and have a look, no IG account nescessary. https://www.instagram.com/louisepage_okori/

I will be installing this painting next week at a local theatre space that I have rented in order to photograph and film it.
If you find yourself in YYC please come and visit, info is below, times TBA on my IG account.

Another incarnation of this piece will be to create a video animation and narrate a breathing meditation to accompany it –

I will also be live streaming on Youtube from the theatre on Friday August 28th at 10:15 MST for 15 minutes with ‘an artist a day’.
Follow the link below if you are curious and would like to see the work in situe.

You can now access the recording on YouTube

https://youtu.be/hQ3jHTWhsaI



There is much to say but really only one sentiment and that is that peace prevail above all else. Every thought – well maybe not every one, but striving more often than not for that goal – come from a place of compassion and empathy for fellow travellers on this planet earth.

Peace, peace and more peace

Louise
Okori

August 22, 2020