FourthLand
Artists weaving new myths of land and people
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Eva Knutsdotter Vikstrom (1985, Norwegian/Swedish)
My life journey so far has been about seeking a common ground for connecting artistic, spiritual and ecological practices. Finding ways of exploring the mysteries of life through a variety of processes that organically flow into one another. Through making objects, performances and sound works, I explore how these practices can combine to manifest poetic environments that empowers the human potential in socially engaged and radical change.
For the last decade, I have been exploring through our collective Fourthland, which through its philosophy and very core has allowed an evolution of these explorations and led to further studies and training in astrology, Kundalini yoga, gong and sound healing and shamanic methods. My interest in exploring these ancient philosophies of healing and creative potential comes from the urge of finding a more universal language that speaks about progress, based on the shared wisdom embedded within our spiritual as well as our physical bodies. I believe this deep and embodied memory can evoke surprising and powerful change to current social and political conditions.
In addition to making, partaking in residencies and exhibiting, my experience ranges from the hosting of creative workshops with schools, institutions and a variety of publics, to sound healing sessions and the teaching of weekly yoga classes and retreats. I am part of a collective of yoga teachers, and was previously part of collective and organic food cooperative Fareshares as well as performance group ‘The Readers’.
Recently I have worked on a feature length ethnographic documentary/fiction film in the northern part of Argentina. A picture that explores the remote life of a lama herder in the altitudes – how within a changing environment of climate change and modernity, the role of myth and fading traditions create an expression of human hope and persistence to stay living in harmony with nature.
EDUCATION
2009-2011 BA Fine Art, Sir John Cass school of Art and Design, London
2004-2005 Foundation in Art and Design, Einar Granum School of Art, Oslo
RECENT TRAINING
2019 Decido Sentir (I decide to feel), Meet The Tide school of Biodynamic Craneosacral Therapy
2019 Shamanic practice, Instituto de Estudios Chámanicos
2016 Gong Master Training
2015-2016 Kundalini Yoga teacher training, Karam Kriya
2014 Herbal Medicine
PREVIOUS WORK
2014-2019 Art director and creative consultant for Ale Tarraf’s feature film ‘Piedra Sola’
2016-present Kundalini yoga instructor and gong practitioner, part of The Kundalini Yoga Collective London
2009-2011 The Readers performance Group
LANGUAGES
English
Norwegian
Swedish
Spanish
Isik Sayarer (1982, British/Turkish)
Making has always been part of my life, using material and sensorial exploration as a way of thinking. I have been teaching for over 10 years, exploring the inter-connection between natural cycles, body cycles, sculptural processes and architecture. This work was initially grounded in studies in Environmental Science and Development Studies exploring everything from tribal rites of crop cycles to Community Ecology, organic food growing and plant medicine. This led to working with remembered remedies of British Folk Medicine before working as Education Officer with the Wildlife Trust and Chelsea Physic Garden, delivering a range of intergenerational workshops inspiring people about the cycles of the natural world.
Questions about how this knowledge could be shared in an embodied way led to training in Art, first through painting then sculpture and textiles and from this into performance. Through these processes I was drawn to learn traditional craft processes such as felt making and carving.These immersive enquiries facilitated thinking about the idea of making as an alchemical and innately performative process that has the potential to transform our thoughts and sculpt new myths that are essential for our time.
In recent years I have become passionate about the role of dance and movement as tools to delve deeper into the embodied knowings of ourselves. This has led me to further journeys into sound and ritual. Recently spending time immersed in the ancient rituals of a village in Zimbabwe and journeying into dance as an ancestral healing practice. These teachings have developed alongside a deep learning from all the people who have come together in our public projects and performances bringing with them wisdoms from across the World.
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EDUCATION
2007-2011 BA Fine Art part time, Sir John Cass school of Art and Design, London
2006 Foundation in Art and Design, Sir John Cass School of Art and Design, London
2002-2005 BSc/BA Environmental Science and Development Studies, University of Sussex
2000 BTEC level 3 Tropical Habitat Conservation Madagascar
RECENT TRAINING
2018-2019 The Bridge
2016-2017 Shakti dance teacher training
2015-2017 Movement Medicine circle, with Christian De Sousa and Dancing Tao
2016 Well woman yoga teacher training with Uma Dismore-Tuli
2015 Celtic Womb Mandala, Jewels Wingfield
PREVIOUS TRAINING
2008 Natural Dyes from Plants
2006 Artistic Expression for adults with learning disabilities - Larches Trust
OTHER WORK
2008-present Artist associate SASA Works Architecture
2008-2016 Bow Arts Trust, Education Artist
2007-2008 Education Officer Chelsea Physic Garden
2006-2007 Education Officer The Wildlife Trust
2005 Research associate Ethnomedica, Kew Gardens