7 February - 15 March

Sadé Mica’s current practice explores their experiences navigating the world as a queer person and the nuances that brings in fleshing out an identity that is often met with contempt and confusion. They use photography, textiles, print and film alongside other mediums to document my body, emotions, ever in flux gender presentation and the facets of their identity they feel most pressing in regards to my gaze and worldview.

Their practice has recently extended to exploring the countryside; placing and posturing their body in the rolling hills and rivers of the North West landscape. This work is rooted in following an urge to connect with nature in a way that they haven’t before, however the context shifts and grows as the project continues, though the instinctual desire to engage with their surroundings will always be the anchor.

It’s been 24 years of messy introspection, but only 6ish months with the help of someone proper qualified. I recorded everything I could remember after each session, hoping to hold onto the breakthroughs and everything in between.

Cataloguing on post it notes, loose leaf paper and eventually in a dedicated notebook didn’t feel enough. The things I’d learned, the compassion I was shown and the progress I made felt more palpable than it looked on any page and so I made what I was compelled to.

Exploring nature centres and refreshes me in a way that only my counselling sessions did, it felt right to combine the two; try to reach an equilibrium of sorts. A security blanket embroidered with the scrawls of my notes acts as a tangible, weighted version of all that I’ve learned and am still.

These pieces are physical markers of the unravelling I’ve done as well as a thank you to those who have helped it happen.

A conversation between Katerina Artemiou and Sadé Mica, OUTPOST Gallery 2nd February 2020

Katerina Artemiou: So how are you feeling?

Sade Mica: Good, yeah I feel confident in the show and I’m glad it’s mostly up now and it looks good. I’m just excited to get this sewing finished! (laughs)

KA: What I wanted you to do is talk a little bit about your counselling and why you chose to include it in your work. I know you speak about it in your description of the show, but why was this your main focus?

SM: The sessions I had in counselling last year were a big catalyst for personal growth. But it was the reflective part afterwards,writing the notes, and trying to remember everything I learned and make it a tangible thing. That was the driving force I think, I wanted to make it this physical thing. Obviously all these changes were happening inside me, like how I would interact but they weren’t necessarily anything that anyone else could see. So yeah, this is a physical representation of everything that I felt. Like a catharsis.

KA: A thing that I noticed about your work, when I first saw it at the Alternative Graduate Show, it was the choice of positive language and the calming nature that was so prominent. For example I was reading one of your interviews and instead of saying body dysmorphia, you used body euphoria. I just think this language change is really important. So have you always been like that or is it something that you’ve learned through counselling and from growing up?

SM: Growing up definitely because, my whole life, even though not always tied to gender I’ve always had issues with my body. And then I kind of tried to get to this stage where I’m more at home with my body, not love it or hate it just be cool with it. Counselling helped with that too, because it’s less of fighting things that can’t happen and preparing me on how to put boundaries in place. It’s the same with the body euphoria and body dysmorphia thing too, it’s a boundary for you and how you see your body, a boundary and how you talk about your body. Your body is there to be your body, to help you pick things up, walk and hug and all that.

KA: Something else I wanted to talk about, was your relationship with nature. We’ve seen you in fields,walking in really cold water for these beautiful videos and photographs. I just wanted you to expand a little bit more on why you use it so much. You live in a big city, Manchester, is nature something you crave from being in a city so much or is it an aesthetic?

SM: At first it was an aesthetic, I did a project where the prompt was to make work that was completely selfish that it’s yours. I started travelling by myself when I was 22, just being anywhere but home by myself was the goal. Being in the countryside I realised that I felt so refreshed, I don’t get that being in Manchester, so that became the connection. Just being in that space that I did the video, I could slow down, and I’ve never really had that place before. And I like just looking around and discovering new things, driving down here I never realised that it was so flat! (laughing)

KA: It all ties in the end, and it makes sense why your work comes out so positive and calm. What’s next for you?

SM: The nature thing will stay, I would like to do more videos with dancing but with choreography this time and definitely I would like to do more embroidery. With an embroidery machine this time, that has been a massive task and I don’t want to see another sewing machine again (laughing) .

KA: And you have another show opening soon?

SM: Yes, at the Science gallery in London. Opening on the 12th of February. It’s a group show titled “GENDERS: Shaping and Breaking the Binary”

KA: Anything else you’d like to say?

SM: No, just thanks!

KA: No, thank you. Thanks for being our first show of the year!