AJ Owens Hughes
Eudaemonic
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35mm film photography prints
Image Descriptions (left to right, top to bottom)
1) A small rectangular window in a brick wall is surrounded by colorful graffiti, including pink spray-painted designs, a turquoise stripe, and black tags. The wall’s base is painted blue with black drips.
2) A large, partially damaged black-and-white photograph of a person in a suit lies on a dusty, cluttered floor near a rolled-up sheet of paper, debris, a cardboard box, and a white brick wall in a neglected room.
3) A large pile of assorted trash and discarded items, including furniture, clothes, and bags, sits on a gravel lot with overgrown trees and a graffiti-covered building in the background.
4)A collapsed porch roof with ornate white railings leans against a damaged building; construction cones and graffiti are visible nearby, with bare trees and another building in the background.
5)Two people walk down a ramp lined with colorful walls and streetlights toward a sparkling, sunlit body of water, with trees and a building visible near the shore in the background.
Artist Description:
I take photographs of urban environments and buildings/architectural changes over time, using my thrifted film cameras that I enjoy giving new life to. I feel my photographs showcase the juxtaposition between growth, beauty and destruction which resonates with me as a brain injury survivor.
Artist Biography:
AJ was struck by a speeding SUV in June 2023, resulting in their Traumatic Brain Injury. AJ has long battled with health challenges, and always found their art to be a way of convalescence and a light in the dark. AJ has been taking photos with 35mm film cameras since 2018. They enjoy the process and anticipation that comes with not seeing your image until its developed.
When it comes to bracelets, AJ began making them around the age of 10, as a hobby and form of fundraising for different causes they were passionate about. With AJ's three-year anniversary of their accident coming up, it is a reminder of how it takes a village of compassion, when you sustain something as life altering as a brain injury. This is AJ's first time in the annual BIST art show and they're thrilled to be a part of it.
For purchase inquiries, contact the artist at Instagram: @edxprod