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Farah Allibhai: ‘What would you say to the love that you are?’

Audio Description

This video starts with an image of a woman standing in front of an off white wall.. She is middle aged, her skin and eyes are brown. She has black curly hair stopping just before her shoulders. She is wearing a white top, earrings and blue eyeliner on her eye lids.
Her hands are clasped with her fingers interlace and held closely in front of her chest

The video is silent for the first 2 minutes.

Looking back and forth smiling at the camera and then frowning down at her hands, the artist attempts to release her fingers.

She twists and turns them.

After a few tries the artist silently sighs, turns her head to the side and leans her left ear towards her hands.

As she breathes in and out her hands begin to unclasp until finally her fingers fully release.
She smiles more and more as her hands and arms begin to effortlessly open wider as she exhales and return to their original position in front of her chest as she inhales.

Smiling with a look of satisfaction, the artist turns back to the camera, her hands together and her fingers interlaced.

She turns her hands outward revealing a heart shape made with her fingers.

She begins speaking. Each line is accompanied by a hand gesture.

I am so happy to be loved by one such as you

The artist unclasps her hands forming a circle in front of her before bringing them back to their original position.

I feel your grace

Her hands then part, the top palm facing down and the bottom palm facing up as she she glides them over each other whilst keeping them apart.

I feel safe

She then brings her hands towards her chest, palms facing inward before returning them to a heart shaped position.

I feel an effortless flow of abundance from you to me

Her hands then push out away from her with fingers loosely held before turning in and coming back towards her chest. She does this 3 times.

There is a warmth when I am next to you

She then places her palms on top of each other. They glide across themselves before she turns her hands over and glides them in the opposite direction.

A feeling of security

Her palms slide over each other once more until her fingers clasp.

An acknowledgement that no harm will come to me

The artist then places her hands in the prayer position. They open into flat palms that move forward in front of her

No harm is meant to me

She then pulls her hands towards her, palms facing inward one hand slightly raised above the other in a blocking position

In you I find the courage to be who I am

Her hands then return to a heart shape.

This complex

Her heart shaped fingers then twist, raising her right elbow and shoulder at the same time.

Crazy

She brings her hands back to centre apart and wiggles her fingers

Shy

The artist then turns her head to the side, bringing one arm into her chest and covers the side of her face with her other hand

Unknowing thing

She then turns to face the camera, bringing her hands to the centre infront of her. Her palms are upturned as she splays her fingers .

Im just an animal looking for a home

Smiling, she then turns away from the camera and looks around whilst with her right hand she makes a deer shaped head with her fingers that also looks around.. Her left hand is held below.

In you I find a shelter

The artist then moves her left hand over her right hand.

A warmth

Whilst looking down at both hands, she strokes the back of her right hand onto the palm of her left hand

A love never experienced before

Her hands then part and return to their original heart shaped position opening again to make a circle in front of her that returns to hug her. She breathes in and smiles, closing her eyes.

She becomes still

The image fades

The title comes up

‘…..I found my breath restricted and my heart closed. Starting again, this time my internal sat nav told me to look inward, to focus on my breath, learn to breathe freely, expand my heart, trust and listen to what’s inside.

This video is my Aildanio, using my breath and allowing my heart to expand, a flame ignites lighting my path moving me forward in more caring and loving ways. This video is an invitation for you to do the same and question what self love is for you.’

Farah Allibhai is a Ugandan born, Gujarati Shia Ismaili Muslim who has lived in Cardiff most of her life. This gives her a unique international cultural perspective and intersectional lens which informs her work and life’s journey.

As a multi-disciplinary artist, her work centres around the process of self- discovery, self-realisation, self- actualisation and healing the inner self.

Drawing on her lived experience, inspired by diversity, the metaphysical and the spiritual, she investigates ways of being. Her work is observational, performative and site specific.

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