Jack Ravi honours our Queer Ancestors through an exhibition of found objects, collage and assemblage. 'Reclaiming Shadows' is a celebration of stories untold, a tribute to silenced voices, and a collective journey of reclamation of a past we lost. It challenges the status quo with tenderness, celebrating those who dared to love and live beyond the boundaries imposed upon them.
At the heart of Reclaiming Shadows is the series Boys Wear Pink, where black & white found photographs, sourced from antique shops and auctions, are adorned with coloured rhinestones. Each meticulously placed stone is more than just decorative; it is an act of remembrance, a tribute to lives that could not be fully lived in the light. These images do not claim to reveal lost truths, but rather, they inspire narratives of longing, tenderness, and love that history has overlooked.
Alongside these works, intimate assemblages of vintage objects and boxed compositions reflect on love that blossomed in the hardest of places: against silence, against distance, against a world that refused to see. These pieces trace gestures of devotion: a glance held too long, a letter carefully folded, the quiet courage of choosing one another in a time when love was forced into the shadows. This exhibition is a radical act of resistance, not through confrontation, but through care. It honours those who found ways to be together when the world conspired to keep them apart.
Jack's work is a meditation on memory, nostalgia, and the power of found objects. It is a journey of transforming discarded materials like old photographs and papers into new, meaningful stories. Each piece invites the viewer to reflect on time, personal and forgotten memories or fragments of stories. In his work, Jack taps into the collective unconscious, exploring themes of loss, play, memory, and identity. His pieces offer glimpses into stories, but deeper understandings emerge from the emotional response of the viewer in the present moment. Jack's work celebrates the beauty of the overlooked and the fleeting moments that shape our lives, encouraging a deeper connection to the world around us. With a deep reverence for old, discarded, found objects, Jack celebrates their beauty and potential, transforming them into mixed media works that invite reflection and connection to the past, while resonating in the present.
Jack Ravi is a collage and mixed media artist whose work explores the intersection of memory, nostalgia, and the power of found objects. Rooted in curiosity and wonder, his artistic process is a personal, meditative journey, driven by a profound emotional connection to the materials he uses.
In his art, Jack explores how memories shape our identities and how the objects that once held meaning can be reimagined to evoke new emotions. Jack's work seeks deeper connections with the world, inviting to pause, look closer, and reconnect with our own memories and stories.
He also shares his process through workshops and retreats, fostering community and creative empowerment. His teaching style is rooted in mindfulness, offering a space for individuals to explore their own curiosity through book making and mixed media.
Jack is also the author of the bestselling book Artful Memories: How to Create Unique Art with Old Photographs.
He currently lives and works in Kinloch, Perthshire.