About
Kamilya is an interdisciplinary artist-researcher from Kazakhstan whose practice bridges art and science.
Arriving at LASALLE College of the Arts' MA in Arts and Ecology with a BSc in Biological Sciences from Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, Kamilya translates her extensive scientific training in laboratory settings to the world-open environment of the artist’s studio.
Her artistic practice employs drawing and illustration to explore aquatic ecosystems, sustainability and biodiversity conservation, offering visual reflections on water ecology problems while simultaneously experimenting with the medium.
Blooming Traces, Living Archives
This installation presents the impact of harmful algal blooms (HABs) through close observation and parallel readings to recalibrate aesthetic judgment.
The phenomenon of HABs is an exemplar of the duality of nature, where algae are essential in sustaining aquatic ecosystems, but excessive growth eventually leads to their collapse. With the ongoing ecological crisis, HABs are considered a global ecological issue that extends beyond aquatic environments.
Through staging a visual archive with desks for interactive study, this work acknowledges the lives of organisms lost over the years and across diverse regions, encouraging visitors to approach the science of bloom-forming algae and their eco-relational complexities.
Sim Kim Cheng Uniz
Alison Schooling
