DESIGNER & ARTIST

PROJECT STATEMENT

​

In a self-proclaimed nation of ‘animal lovers’, are we really whom we want to believe we are?

Inspired by tribal rituals of whaling and whale entertainment industries, the project questions our way of living while coexisting with animals, with unnecessary cruelty and sacrifice. 

​

The narrative takes place in L’Esperance Rock of the Kermadec Islands, an island with a history of whaling - a psychologically scarred landscape where thousands of lives are taken. As sea levels rise, the Maori people abandoned their previous home in search of a new one for divine repentance, providing a ceremonial space to celebrate the existence of these gods of the sea. 

​

Existing within this graveyard landscape, the Whale Monastery sits on a volcanic crater, casting whalebones as building elements. The space is silent as the inhabitants walk on sand, the only sound heard is the ocean and whale songs, as sound tunnels are carved through the island to capture the sombre songs of the whales that swim around. 

As we evaluate our existing choices, the Whale Monastery serves as a critique of our current actions. As humanity remains in a deep slumber, the Whale Monastery will continue to dream to exist in its brave new world...