CHARLOTTE J WARD
Charlotte was born in Lyon in 1992. After spending much of her time in India and Brazil over the past five years. She now lives in Paris.
Charlotte graduated from the London College of Communication in 2014 with Photography BA (Hons) and a predominantly documentary and portraiture photography portfolio; mirroring her ongoing fascination for the world around her; with a keen interest in capturing people, communities and social phenomena.
In 2019, her practice took a new turn, as she delved into the world of indigenous medicine ceremonies, which encouraged this transitionary phase from people, towards the world of plants. Greatly influenced by the art of shamanic rituals, Yoga, Somatics and more recently the practice of 'Menstrual Cycle Awareness', she has recently turned her lens back towards the human form, through the means of self-portraiture. Not only has this new form of practice allowed her to meet herself on deeper levels, it has also kickstarted an ongoing exploration of the relationship between the human form and the 'Earth body'; resulting in her most recent series, 'BLOOM'.
Today, her practice finds itself at a cross between performance, embodied practices and fine art photography. It is through this constantly evolving process of transformation, that she has come to realise this medium is her medicine - the one that heals her and the one to share with others.
BLOOM Series
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, as the world began to slow down, I naturally delved into the practice of self-portraiture from the shelter of the one place I call home, in south-west France.
The images in this series entitled ‘BLOOM’ are an exploration of my surroundings - these places which have cradled me all my life. They speak of coming home to my roots, as a means to meet deeper levels of myself. Having broken up with my first girlfriend not long before going into lockdown, this is also a journey through grief, as I learn to let go of the old and courageously face the new in these strange, yet powerful collective times.
Held by nature like a foetus in her Mother’s Womb,
I learn to love myself more fully, as I welcome
and hold the blooming of a new life cycle within me. Tuning into the transitionary phase of Spring and the wonderful teachings this time of year has to offer; accepting that Life & Death are one and the same and that everything that is born must die for new life to come again.
A transitioning time of transformation ~ of coming home to what matters most.
