A&D ANNUAL 2021

Nissa

Nissa’s work explores two viewpoints—one looking outside in, and the other looking inside out. The warm, cosy environment of the wooded cabin deliberately contrasts the exterior scene of the cold dark woods. The work focuses on this juxtaposition, playing on the prominent ‘cabin in the woods’ horror genre while also representing the cabin as a warm inviting place. In both scenes, there is an underlying theme of being watched, creating feelings of unease, and a sense of dread and paranoia designed to make viewers feel on edge. While Nissa depicts half-eaten food, an indent on the couch, and a crackling fire, a thin layer of dust covers the scene creating a sense of absence—there is an inherent knowledge that a person was meant to be there but is not anymore.