The ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ series tells my personal story, which is characterised by two countries: my country of birth, Great Britain, and my adopted home, Switzerland. Having experienced my formative years in a foreign country at the tender age of six, my nature and character have been indelibly shaped by the complicated process of integration, navigating an unfamiliar environment and learning a new language. Nonetheless, there is an unbroken emotional connection to North Wales, which has been the backdrop to countless treasured memories and recurring holidays over the years. In this case, the images serve as a haunting visual testimony that relentlessly expresses the relentless search for synthesis and my ongoing endeavour to discover a deep and resonant sense of belonging. In a captivating and thought-provoking attempt to reconcile these disparate worlds, this series undertakes the daunting task of visually manifesting my inner turmoil. Through metaphorical separation and subsequent poignant recomposition, the landscapes are perceptually torn apart and meticulously reassembled into a seamless synthesis.

These imaginary landscapes turn out to be symbols that express my deep longing for a harmonious fusion of the two realms that have profoundly shaped my identity and existence. The deliberate act of cutting up the landscapes serves as a visual representation of the tension between the two cultural influences. The subsequent piecing together represents my unwavering determination to bridge this divide and find a coherent whole. By stitching together these fragmented landscapes, I aim to create a visual metaphor for the synthesis of my cultural identities. The material for these collages comes mainly from collected art magazines from the 1950s to the 1970s. These landscape collages were inspired by my Welsh grandfather David Arthur Rogers, a photographer and painter who created hundreds of oil paintings before his death.