IDA LAWRENCE

Language, Story, and Cultural Exchange

Ida Lawrence’s practice explores storytelling, translation, and cultural exchange through text and image. Her works often combine humour, pattern, and poetic language to examine misunderstanding, memory, and connection. For Pasar Malam, Ida created a vibrant collage titled Pasar Malam (It had come to her attention), inspired by the chaos of Indonesian night markets. The piece blends auto-fictional text with playful imagery, including a self-portrait and scenes of children at play, reflecting themes of language, belonging, and cultural hybridity.

Think About and Discuss

Ida’s work resists instant legibility. “If a work is instantly understandable visually, then there’s no point for the viewer to spend a long time in front of it,” she notes. Identify elements of collage, text, and pattern. How do these choices convey movement and chaos?

How does the title “It had come to her attention…” add a layer of meaning? What meanings are introduced through a collection of English and Indonesian phrases? Can you create sentences using the different texts?

List 5 ways words and colours are used to create a sense of play in Ida’s works. Write this into a short answer response. In small groups, debate whether humour can soften or complicate conversations about cultural misunderstanding.