“I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"
Video, 2023
About the artwork
The title “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" draws inspiration from the phrase's origin: a novel by Joanne Greenberg. Just as the protagonist in the novel confronts the realities of mental illness and the challenges of an idealised world, this video reveals complexities of perception. Vintage-inspired imagery, juxtaposed with surreal elements, invites viewers into a world where promises are unmade, and perspectives are ever-shifting. Using AI, depth mapping and animation, this video exposes the construction behind the facade, showing what's beyond the surface, metaphorically and literally. An exploration of the human experience, reminding us that life's journey is not always adorned with roses, but rather a captivating tapestry of context and insight, where confronting challenges lead to growth and understanding.
AI generated music by KEZIAI
Audio explanation
Listen to KEZIAI discuss this work.
Kezia, aka KEZIAI, is a intermedia artist bringing 25 years of experience as a director and photographer to the evolving world of AI.
Surreal and metaphorical her work bends reality, and transcends the limitations of chronic illness, pushing creative boundaries from bed. BFA majoring in Intermedia from Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University, in the 90s.
Raised in New Zealand’s coastal village of Devonport, KEZIAI creates with a curious imagination and passion for crafting unique visuals with conceptual narratives. Her cinematic work has been featured at BAFTA-qualifying and OSCAR-accredited festivals, gaining recognition and awards, including Golds at the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival, D&AD, The One Show, and AWARD, as well as being a finalist at Cannes Lions.
Combining her silver screen sensibilities with AI, she now creates surreal scenes from bed, navigating chronic illness. As a commercials director KEZIA travelled the world, shooting for brands including HSBC, Mastercard and Cadbury, now, as KEZIAI, her artworks travel for her. Along with Fellowship, her artwork has been curated by: Claire Silver for ‘Homage to Brancusi’ exhibition in Romania and in NYC at Lume Studios, Superchief in ‘A Show of Hands’ at Crypto Art Seoul and Miami, Accelerate Art at MET AMS, Obscura, Transient Labs, Shillr, NFT NYC, and shown in Times Square, Rome and NZ.
Also, Kezia has documented her daily life through a self-portrait “Daily Photo”, since Artschool, 1997.