Zara Sajovic

I yearn for a slower, more contemplative existence. My work delves into the symbiotic relationship between the body, the natural world, and our disconnect.

Guided by the provocative theories within Carol J. Adams’ ‘The Pornography of Meat, I navigate the crossroads of patriarchy and the commodification of beings, human and otherwise. I’m interested in the parallels of culinary Western practices comparable to the pornographic — ‘sanitised’ by silverware and the facade of civility that hides the innate violence of objectification (both human and non-human).

Adams, with a critical lens on our meat-centric culture, compares the exploitation of animals for produce with the oppression of women as commodities, and the body as an ‘object’ of consumption. I explore these intersecting themes through my practice, challenging the body’s perspective as ‘a piece of meat’. The intertwining of the sexual and the culinary is a recurring motif, a web masked beneath false narratives that perpetuate the oppression of both the female body and the animal aggressor — further distancing us from the natural world. My work acts as a challenge and exploration of these convergent themes.

Through the lens of black and white film photography, I capture the intimate union of the body and nature, a resurrection of a relationship lost. The shapes and movement within the natural and the human body become a dialogue, an exploration of the ethereal. My interest transcends the tangible; it delves into the abstract, a fascination with fleeting moments in our transient existence. Film development becomes a deliberate, patient act in a culture accustomed to instant gratification.

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