Project 10: Consolidate and Reflect
This final project of the unit gives you space to complete and catch up on any aspects of your coursework that need referring. You should consolidate your work to date, collate feedback from your peers and tutor on your body of work and produce an appraisal of the unit.
To prepare for Unit 2.3, you will review your initial aims concerning the practical skills you have built, the unit learning outcomes and your understanding of ‘perspectives’ as an embedded aspect of your practice.
You will have opportunities to share your work and present it to your peers, receive feedback and offer advice and feedback on others’ work. Supported by your tutor, you will evaluate your development throughout the unit and plan the next step in your studies for Unit 2.3.
The formal requirements for the assessment of the unit are listed below. As you refine and consolidate your work from the unit, you should prepare these key components of your studies thoroughly and professionally, having acted on feedback and developed your work to the best of your abilities.
At the end of this unit, present to your tutor the following:
- A selection of Learning Log documents and reflection on activities from each project in relation to the unit learning outcomes.
- A final selection of practical work.
- A Critical Review document (1250 words or 10-minute presentation).
- Reflective Presentation/Evaluation (750 words or 6-minute presentation).
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Exercise 1: Critical ReviewAt this point, you should allocate time to complete your Critical Review. You should have enough material since beginning this in Project 4 and be able to refine, complete and present it to your tutor.The formal requirements for this are either 1250 words or a 10-minute presentation.
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CRITICAL REVIEW
Introduction
Artistic expression is a deeply personal yet universally communicative process. My creative journey, shaped by my experiences in China, has been a transformative odyssey of self-discovery, cultural awareness, and artistic growth. Through poetry, photography, and storytelling, I have found ways to navigate an unfamiliar cultural landscape while reflecting on my heritage and aspirations. My work is not just a documentation of my experiences but an exploration of identity, adaptation, and artistic purpose.
This review critically evaluates how cultural immersion and artistic practice intersect in my creative development, drawing parallels between my journey and the mythological themes that have long inspired me. In addition to poetry and photography, my two short narratives, Urban Jungle and a story inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival and Aesop’s fables, further highlight my evolving perspective on modern life and cultural traditions. Through these works, I examine how urbanisation, historical memory, and cultural rituals shape personal and collective identity.
Navigating Cultural Awareness Through Art
My stay in China has been a profound cultural experience, shaping both my worldview and artistic output. The phrase ‘’a picture is worth a thousand words’’ resonates with me, as my use of photography has become an essential tool in documenting and interpreting the world around me. Through photography, I have explored urban landscapes, traditions, and historical narratives that contrast sharply with my European upbringing.
In my photographic work Urban Jungle, I capture the overwhelming scale of megacities: the towering skyscrapers, the absence of accessible drinking water, and the immense infrastructure that shapes daily life. The piece explores the contradictions of modern urban existence: awe-inspiring yet impersonal, innovative yet harsh. This visual storytelling highlights the paradox of progress: how cities can create both opportunities and isolation. The sheer massiveness of Chinese cities has prompted me to reflect on how people adapt to such environments. How does urbanisation shape identity? How does it alter our relationship with space, nature, and tradition? Urban Jungle is an attempt to answer these questions through imagery, presenting a city that is both a marvel and a challenge.
Additionally, my observations on aesthetics and historical memory, particularly regarding the Opium Wars, have deepened my awareness of how history is narrated differently depending on cultural and national perspectives. After a primary research in two Opium War museums in Dongguan, which was the scenery of the first battles, I became even more aware of these contrasting interpretations. In the UK, poppies symbolize remembrance and heroism; in contradiction, they evoke memories of colonial oppression and suffering in China. These contrasting interpretations highlight the importance of perspective in storytelling, which is central to my creative work. Just as history is shaped by those who tell it, art is influenced by the artist’s perspective. This realization has influenced my approach to storytelling, making me more conscious of how I frame my narratives and the emotions I wish to evoke.
Poetry as a Reflection of Cultural and Personal Struggles
Poetry has always been my primary means of expression, allowing me to distil complex emotions and thoughts into a concentrated form. My poem The Land of Lotus Eaters reflects my experience in China as an observer of a new culture and someone at risk of being consumed by comfort and distraction. Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, the poem draws upon temptation and forgetfulness, paralleling Odysseus’s struggle to remain focused on his journey home.
Here, poetry becomes more than a creative exercise; it serves as a philosophical anchor, reminding me of my goals and values. This aligns with my artistic philosophy: I create to document, understand, and make sense of my personal and cultural experiences. Resisting oblivion, whether through comfort or artistic stagnation, resonates deeply in my creative practice. I strive to remain present, conscious and engaged with my art, using it to navigate cultural and existential challenges.
My creative practice often involves layering personal struggles with broader cultural themes. In the poem None, I investigate the adentity loss and the crash of personality in a harsh environment. In Leukothea, I metaphorically connect my struggle in China with Odysseus’ battle against the sea. The White Goddess Leukothea offers Odysseus a veil to keep him afloat; in my case, art functions as that veil: a force that sustains me through uncertainty and hardship. This metaphor reinforces the idea that art is not just an outlet but a lifeline, a means of survival in unfamiliar waters.
The Role of Storytelling: Critique, Celebration, and Balance
Alongside poetry and photography, storytelling has been another essential tool in processing cultural experiences. Inspired by the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, my fable explores observation, critique, and celebration themes. The story follows a snail who initially views human traditions with scepticism, questioning the purpose of their celebrations. The snail embodies a detached, hypercritical perspective that mirrors my own when trying to make sense of cultural traditions that differ from mine.
However, as the story unfolds, the snail understands that creating memorable moments to celebrate life is not frivolous but essential. The fable critiques the tendency to be overly analytical, suggesting that an excess of detachment and judgment can be toxic. Proper cultural understanding requires more than just observation; it demands participation and openness to joy.
This realisation has influenced my artistic approach, pushing me to balance analysis with immersion. While it is essential to examine the world critically, it is equally important to engage with it entirely, embracing the beauty of human connection and tradition. Therefore, my storytelling serves as both a critique and a celebration: acknowledging the complexities of culture while appreciating its richness.
The Role of Technology in Cultural Exchange and Artistic Expression
Living in a digitally interconnected world has transformed how cultures interact and influence each other. As I noted in my reflections, technology has brought global communities closer together, allowing cultural exchange to happen at an unprecedented pace. However, this also comes with challenges: Overusing digital platforms can lead to detachment rather than deeper cultural understanding.
Social media, for example, has the power to amplify voices, share traditions, and create cross-cultural dialogue, but it can also distort realities and promote superficial engagement with culture. This duality is something I consider deeply in my work. My approach to photo storytelling, as seen in Urban Jungle, aims to resist this superficiality by capturing genuine moments that convey the complexity of lived experiences. By combining photography with written narratives, I seek to create a form of authentic storytelling in an era of digital oversaturation.
This perspective aligns with my creative arts studies’ ethos: not to consume information but to engage with it critically and transform it into meaningful work. How can we use digital tools to enhance rather than dilute cultural understanding? This remains an ongoing question in my artistic process.
Conclusion: Art as a Lifeline and a Bridge
My creative practice has been profoundly shaped by my experiences in China, cultural background, and engagement with literature and mythology. This journey has expanded my artistic arsenal through poetry, photography, and storytelling and deepened my understanding of cultural awareness, historical narrative, and the role of art in personal and collective identity.
My work bridges the gaps between cultures, histories, and personal experiences. Whether through the lens of a camera, the verse of a poem, or the narrative of an ancient myth-inspired story, I seek to connect disparate elements into a cohesive artistic expression. My studies with OCA have provided the framework and encouragement to refine and explore these ideas.
Ultimately, my journey, both literal and metaphorical, continues. As Odysseus’s adventures shaped his identity, each new experience added layers to my creative practice. My challenge is to keep evolving, ensuring that my artistic expression remains as dynamic and transformative as the journey that inspires it.
The AI-generated image above illustrates my idea of art as a saviour from a harsh reality. Its vibrant colours and expressive imagery showcase how creativity offers solace, hope, and a way to overcome life’s struggles, reminding us that art heals and inspires.
Reflective Presentation/Evaluation
Embarking on this creative project has been a transformative journey, offering profound insights into my artistic practice and personal growth. This evaluation aims to dissect the various stages of the project, highlighting challenges faced, lessons learned, and the evolution of my creative process. Above all, it seeks to underline the seer sense of fulfilment and purpose that I encountered.
Conceptualisation and Inspiration
The project’s inception was rooted in a desire to explore Homer’s Odyssey, which has always intrigued me and given me a guiding light in my ‘’flaneur’’ life. Drawing inspiration from my life in China along with the challenges and the obstacles. Referring to the original Homeric epic and as I was drifting through the seas, articulated by my favourite poet, Nikos Kavvadias, a sailor, sought to create work that encapsulated my feelings, struggles, and adventures in a parallel universe of the one introduced by Homer, looking for a Cavafian Ithaca. This phase involved extensive physical research in time and space, immersing myself in my environment, sometimes like a tiny snail and others as an Urban Jungle explorer, to gather a comprehensive understanding and spark creativity: a never-ending process flowing through me as a creative wave.
Planning and Development
Transitioning from concept to execution didn’t require planning: I wanted to undergo the process and not research someone’s ideas and experiences; I wanted to create an original and authentic outcome and not live and create through someone else’s eyes. I wanted to live my stories. I began by capturing pictures of my surroundings without storyboarding the captured outcome: I didn’t know where this process would lead me initially. In the end, I saw what I had in my hands. I started envisioning stories inspired by the local culture as well along with the impressive surroundings. This non-structured approach allowed me to foresee potential challenges, be flexible with my creative thinking and strategise solutions in advance because the environment kept feeding me fantastic ideas. I remained open to spontaneous inspirations and serendipitous moments that could enhance the work as I kept exploring new findings.
Execution and Technique
The creation phase was exhilarating and demanding but soothing and redemptive. I endeavoured to bring the concepts to life through poetry, storytelling, and photography. A challenge was combining them, which required exploring and applying a fusion of photography and storytelling. Technically, I learned better ways to capture and process photos using my computer, create content, and demonstrate my artwork. This experience underscored the importance of adaptability and reinforced my belief in the value of continuous learning and skill development. It also highlighted the importance of artistic expression and creativity to escape reality, giving a greater sense of perspective and purpose.
Reflection and Iteration
Upon completing the initial versions of my various attempts, I critically reflected, assessing the work against my original objectives. This process involved soliciting feedback from peers and my mentor, which provided diverse perspectives and constructive critiques. Reflecting on this feedback, I recognised areas for improvement, leading to several iterations of the piece. This iterative process aligns with the notion that reflection is a dynamic and ongoing process that adds layers of meaning to one’s artistic journey.
Receiving and responding to feedback was initially challenging, as I struggled to detach emotionally from my work. However, I soon realized its importance for growth. For instance, a peer disliked my use of capital letters in my stories, feeling it seemed like shouting, though I found it impactful. In another case, I agreed with feedback that the ending image of my Urban Jungle story was weaker than the opening and revised it. These experiences taught me to balance my vision with others’ perspectives, refining my work through constructive criticism.
Outcome and Personal Growth
The final reprocessed piece uploaded to YouTube with a music score, titled ‘’A Mid Autumn Festival Tale’’, represents a culmination of my efforts and learning throughout this project. It successfully conveys photo exploration and fiction and articulates a refined demonstration of my views and thoughts about the universe I had emerged into. Beyond the tangible outcome, this project has been instrumental in my personal and artistic development. I have gained a deeper understanding of my creative process, honed my technical skills, and developed a greater appreciation for the role of reflection in artistic practice.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, I plan to build upon the insights gained from this project. I aim to explore my surroundings through the lens of a camera and the mind of a writer, further challenging myself and expanding my artistic repertoire. As my tutor advocates, I also intend to maintain a reflective journal and a learning blog/log to systematically document my creative processes and reflections. This practice will be a valuable tool for continuous improvement and self-awareness in my future endeavours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this project has been a significant milestone in my artistic journey. It has resulted in various pieces of art I am proud of and facilitated substantial personal growth. The challenges encountered, and the reflections undertaken have equipped me with valuable lessons that will inform and inspire my future creative pursuits. The journey is long but worthwhile.
REFERENCES
Homer (1996) The Odyssey. Translated by R. Fagles. London: Penguin Classics.
Fry, S. (2024) Odyssey. London: Michael Joseph.
Graves, R. (1948) The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth. London: Faber & Faber.
Aesop (2002) Aesop’s Fables. Translated by L. Gibbs. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wikipedia contributors. “Aesop.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Feb. 2025. Web. 7 Feb. 2025.
Critical engagement database/influence.
Nikos Kavvadias- the Greek poet/sailor works:
Poetry Collections:
Kavvadias, N. (1933) Marabou. Athens: [Agra].
Kavvadias, N. (1947) Fog (Πούσι). Athens: [Agra].
Kavvadias, N. (1975) Traverso (Τραβέρσο). Athens: [Agra].
Prose Works:
Kavvadias, N. (1954) The Shift (Βάρδυα). Athens: [Agra].
Kavvadias, N. (1987) Li (Λί). Athens: [Agra].
Kavvadias, N. (1987) Of War/On My Horse ( Του Πολέμου/Στο Άλογο μου). Athens: [Agra].
Cavafy, C.P. (1911) Ithaca. Translated by E. Keeley and P. Sherrard. The Cavafy Archive.
Wikipedia contributors. “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Jan. 2025. Web. 1 Feb. 2025.
Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi
Mitchell, J. (1970) Big yellow taxi [Song]. On Ladies of the Canyon. Reprise Records. Available at: Spotify [ Accessed 31 January 2025].
Guns N’ Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
Guns N’ Roses (1987) Welcome to the jungle [Song]. On Appetite for Destruction. Geffen Records.
Available at: Spotify [Accessed 31 January 2025].
Alexander's blog 