WISH
Installation & Exhibition at Projects Kavel Rafferty, Nov 2025
Show record (Vinyl) created with Jordan Rosseau
WAX & WISH is a series by filmmaker & artist Vasilisa Forbes exploring the intimate world of the waxing salon; blending visual art, ritual and body politics. The installation imagery and themes stem from the story contained in the Wax & Wish film, in which a self-critical woman visits her local beautician for an intimate wax. In the story, the beautician acknowledges her despondent state, and seeks to enlighten her to the powers of manifestation and specifically the teachings of Neville Godard, all whilst legs-akimbo on the waxing table.
There is a bond and complicity created between the two subjects in this encounter on the waxing table, a secret is shared two fold. The vulnerability of the client, her discomfort and the sharing of intimate stories are all interlinked. Equally the dialogue of whether and which self improvement and wellness practices bring benefit or hindrance, and how they do so. Is her wax necessary for a first date? Is the process itself therapeutic, or does it become morphed into a form of therapy and self-help through the intimacy shared with a friendly beautician? Is manifestation a form of therapy, is it a form of self help or self transformation?
The floral motifs and manipulated photographic-origin images surrounding the film are an exploration of this intersection of desire, memory, and transformation. The strange blooms are licentious and uncanny; blurring the boundaries between organic, imagined, innocent and carnal. The images are photographs, taken then digitally altered and manipulated, with some involving also drawn elements, while others involve layers of digital editing and colour design.
