Homegrown Series: London
A Photography Exhibition on Sustainability
Date: 26 July – 2 August 2024
Venue: Hiru Cafe, Lumut Pangkor Ferry Jetty, Perak, Malaysia
Homegrown Series is a still life photography about the power of objects, directing the focus on destruction, creation, and longevity.
Art is the flowers in a garden that are nurtured by the community. Based on that principle, I debuted Homegrown Series in my Malaysian hometown of Lumut, Perak, in collaboration with local businesses. The showcase also celebrates Malaysia’s Independence Month and Visit Perak Year 2024.
The photographic display is currently gracing the beautiful gray wall of Hiru Cafe, a specialty coffee vendor at Lumut Pangkor Ferry Jetty, facing the Strait of Malacca and Pangkor Island. The artworks were printed by Pearl Design Centre, another local business in Seri Manjung maritime district.
The project started during the pandemic in London, UK, my home for three decades. Here, I explore the concepts of sustainability, mindfulness, and impermanence via recycled containers and the flowers that I grew myself.
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, says Pablo Picasso. So, I would like the visitors to take their time to enjoy the contemplative images over the excellent cups of coffee.
Special thanks to Hiru Cafe for kindly hosting this exhibition.
Art is the flowers in a garden that are nurtured by the community.
About Homegrown Series
Homegrown Series is a still life photography about the power of objects, directing the focus on destruction, creation, and longevity through the spontaneous compositions of my homegrown flowers. The composition is informed by my ikebana studies and mindfulness practice.
The creative process starts from cultivating the plants, exposing them to the natural weather conditions to capturing them in recycled containers.
The aim isn’t to achieve slick results, but instead to celebrate the imperfections, natural degradations and appreciating beauty in decay. This is centred around Japanese art philosophy of “mujo” (transience) and “wabi-sabi” (imperfection).
The series began with the flowers that I grew at home in west London, arranged in discarded jars and drink bottles, set against the paper waste backdrops.
After The Rain Project is Zarina Holmes’s photographic observation on mindfulness and sustainability. Her project was presented in London, UK and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
About Zarina Holmes
Zarina Holmes is an author, photographer and graphic designer from Seri Manjung, Perak, who’s lived for three decades in London, UK. She studied MA Design at Middlesex University, London and BA Arts & Design at UITM, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Her journey into meditative photography started as a visualiser in advertising agencies, followed by a role as a creative editor for a UK travel publishing company, producing glossy magazines for tourism brands. Her hectic media work made her ponder about the impact of mental health, sustainability and the consumerism culture that she helped create.
Holmes believes that a destination’s environmental identity is important for the population’s mental and physical wellbeing. After teaching photography for 10 years, Holmes decided to publish her thoughts and images as photobooks to accompany her talks.
Zarina is an experienced art educator. In 2011, she launched City Academy’s photography department, where she led photography workshops in Covent Garden and central London, UK until 2023. She conducted workshops independently in Southeast and Central Asia regions.
aftertherainproject.com
Instagram: @zarinaholmesphotography @aftertherain_project
Zarina Holmes 