Developed during a two-month artist residency at
Yo Yo Yard Sauna, where time spent in shared spaces of warmth and stillness shaped the foundations of this work.
PERMISSION TO STOP
What would it mean to give ourselves permission to slow down, not as a reward, but as a regular practice of care?
In a culture shaped by productivity, speed, and the constant noise of things competing for our attention, Permission to Stop challenges the idea that rest must be earned, proposing instead slowness as a shared, sustaining practice that supports both individual wellbeing and collective care. The project centres on portraits of people with their eyes closed, steam rising from their bodies -
a quiet visual gesture toward pause, vulnerability, and release. Alongside the images, participants
are invited to reflect on what warmth means to them, when they allow themselves to truly rest,
and whether they feel permitted to slow down or take time for themselves. Through these shared reflections, the work considers warmth not only as a physical sensation, but as an emotional and social condition essential to care.
