The Lioness, The Potion, and The Wardrobe Riso Print Photobook & A3 Print, Ishmael Claxton (Signed)

In the depths of the COVID-19 lockdown, two friends embarked on a
collaborative creative experience within the sanctuary of Cliona’s home. Amidst
conversations and drinks, Ishmael Claxton captured portraits of his muse Cliona
Buckley, referred to as "the lioness," as she paraded her fantastic wardrobe. The
series of photographs that emerged explores identity and expression with playful,
beautiful, and sensitive touches.

We are invited to question where the edges of the self end and the external
world begins. As we witness a feisty, beautiful woman shape-shift and dance
through various constructed identities and spirits, we see paradoxes of creative
expression play out. The curated and invented can be the most revealing,
radically honest communication, and to lean into the human form as an object to
be adorned is to fully embody the self as an expansive, energetic being.

'The Lioness, The Potion, and The Wardrobe' investigates the worlds we can create
within the chambers of our experience and the portal into meaning that is
creative expression. To be an artist is to allow your soul to show itself beyond the
limits of your body. When we are lucky enough to be invited into someone’s
home, heart, and imagination, fantastic beauty is revealed. All shots were done
using various film stocks, adding a tactile, nostalgic quality to the exploration.
This series encapsulates the essence of collaborative creativity during a time of
isolation, highlighting how friendships can yield profound artistic revelations.

Through Claxton's lens, the lioness's transformations reveal the power of personal
expression and the boundless nature of identity within the confines of our
immediate surroundings.