Propelled by my personal experience, Tether touches on the construct of family by exploring themes of connection, transformation and shifting perspective. In this project, I am using virtual reality to create the sensation of being both here—the place we are physically in, and elsewhere—the virtual world we experience.
Another key trajectory of this research considers the intersection of digital technologies and the body, asking how player movement can shape both the visual language of the work and the experiential quality of the artwork itself.
Tether is currently in development. During a 5-week Visual Arts residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (2026) I began the creative process by designing and prototyping in maquettes the environment for the VR experience.
This virtual reality experience that leverages the magical and transformative qualities of shadow puppetry to tell stories about the different shapes families can take.
The image below is from the perspective of the VR headset. All other images are from the Open Studio presentation at Banff Centre and show pieces from the creative process (photos by Abigaile Edwards).
