‘Traditionally, power was what was seen, what was shown, and what was manifested…Disciplinary power, on the other hand, is exercised through its invisibility; at the same time it imposes on those whom it subjects a principle of compulsory visibility. In discipline, it is the subjects who have to be seen.’
– Michel Foucault

Private View: 7th May 2025 4:30pm
Exhibition runs from 7th to 14th May 2025

The idea for this show began when I came across the so-called ‘right to dry’ – the right to hang your laundry outside – which is restricted in some places due to housing rules or aesthetic concerns. It made me think about how even ordinary, everyday actions can be regulated, and how that connects to the limitations I experience as an immigrant navigating life through a web of rules and restrictions. These aren’t just bureaucratic details – they shape my daily existence. It reminded me of Foucault’s idea of power operating quietly, through rules and systems that end up shaping our lives, our choices, even our sense of who we are – and who we are permitted to be. What once felt like an abstract theory now feels deeply personal.

At the time, I had already created a screen print of tights hanging on a washing line – an idea I’ve developed further in this show. Tights, for me, carry a layered meaning: they’re intimate and everyday, yet often fetishised. Depending on the context, they can feel alluring, uncomfortable, or even shameful. That tension fits perfectly within the Washroom Gallery, a space that blurs the line between public and private. With this show, I invite you to reflect on exposure, control, and vulnerability – what we hide, what we reveal, and what it means to live under constant scrutiny.