After graduation from LIPA, Anissa Ladjemi took a trip to Norway via the EU which turned into four years of Arts work in Europe and South America which changed her life and where her creativity was embraced wholeheartedly. She came back to find little Community Arts work in the UK so diversified into local government and charity work. She now advocates and works for people with life limiting health conditions which she enjoys. She says “LIPA opened so many doors for me and allowed me to see a world beyond the UK and its restrictions. I loved the opportunity it gave me. It sent me on an unexpected path of self discovery and fun. Sadly we will never look as good as we did the year we graduated from LIPA.” Here she writes about how her time at LIPA transformed her understanding of what art is.
What is Art?
In 2001 at LIPA I attended a discussion group called What is Art? A community music student, Tom used me as an example of the human body being a work of Art and made me stand up while he spoke. We take it for granted everyday but we would be nowhere without it, everybody is unique and your body is unique. You have scars all over you from medical procedures and you’re still here. Your scars are your very own tattoos. They tell the story of your body and all it has endured and survived. Your imperfections give you grace and strength. As time goes on you will look back and wish you looked like you did today imperfectly young and beautiful.
The joy of a body that works is the greatest gift so enjoy it and never take it for granted! It really stayed with me as nobody had taken the time to appreciate my imperfections including myself. At first I was embarrassed but Tom wherever you may be, thank you for always saying something positive and true to me even when I wasn’t ready to accept the compliments. These days I always acknowledge a compliment and you taught me that.
I attended an Art exhibition with Roger Hill in 2004. It was about an artist whose husband had died of cystic fibrosis. To deal with her grief, she had decided to pay homage to him via an art exhibition which included a big inflatable penis and the artist bowing to the penis with lots of images of bondage and S and M. I had previously had a conversation with Roger regarding my frustration about the fact that society labels those with disabilities and health conditions as non sexual beings and incapable of being desired or loved: so people assume they must be with people like them and can’t be desired by able bodied people.
By seeing this exhibition, as much as it was uncomfortable and intense at times, (each to their own but S and M is not my thing) it made me realise that not everybody feels this way, that those from minority groups and those with disabilities are desired by many people but mainly those who are open minded enough and willing to not see it as a barrier.
I was grateful Roger had invited me in the first place as many students refused to attend. Was it his way of saying it doesn’t matter what others think and don’t let society’s expectations stop you from being free? When asked about the exhibition and the discussion on art, Roger said “It captures the quality of the education we were offering so well – feelings and intuitions and discoveries“. I feel society has tried to put me in a box my entire life but we all have the power to step out of the box and be true to ourselves.
The exhibition stayed with me because it was the first time I had seen a person with a health condition talk about sex openly and who dispelled the myth that disabled people are sexless and unlovable.