Holly Beeston - ‘Pulling Silk’

‘Aikido’ is the Japanese martial practice of peace, respect, harmony and balance. Translating best as ‘harmonising of way and spirit’, the discipline centres itself within a philosophy that to injure an opponent is to injure oneself, striving towards a universal art of peace.

Using breath, balance, momentum, and connectivity, an opponent’s strength is met not with force, but with unity - their energy being drawn out and redirected through spherical moments and turning motions. Broken down, the etymology of the word speaks not of combat or fight, but combining and conversing, magnetism and craft.

Immersing myself in the practice and its rituals through classes and study, I create a visual record of the sensations, values, principles and philosophies of Aikido.

Seeking out quiet moments both inside and outside of the Dojo, I reflect on the practice through instinctive imagery, allowing the elements of the natural world and the influence of Shintoism to feed into my visual explorations.

This project is currently a work in progress, keep your eyes peeled over on @holbeeston.photography to see more.