10 BLESSINGS

10 Blessings is a project created and composed by vocalist, composer and performer Nilusha Dassenaike. A new multidisciplinary project combining original vocal music performed by a powerful group of female singers with electronic music elements, 10 Blessings draws on personal narratives written by each of the performers. By transforming these personal texts into dynamic musical compositions, Nilusha weaves a lush sonic landscape which holds each performer in a sacred container of shared experience while her story is sung and witnessed. I’m grateful to be among the performers in this extraordinary group of women and thrilled to be developing visual elements to accompany the performance piece. The series of studies below is developing as the project evolves.

While composing each song, Nilusha uses landscape photographs taken by musical collaborator Colin Snape as a focal point, choosing an image for each composition that resonates with the tone and symbolism of the source story.

Using collage, painting and mixed media techniques I’ve created imaginary landscapes that break the frame of the original photograph and widen the scene out in all directions, echoing the act of songwriting as it expands the original source narratives into universal stories.

The pink and gold threads connect each landscape to the next, following the sequence of the songs. These simple lines evoke energetic pathways, beckoning each of us to walk in each other’s footsteps, voyage into each other’s stories, and build empathy as we walk and sing together.