Alana Lake

My practice explores the intersections of addiction, desire, and queer identity, focusing on shared human experiences shaped by desire. Experiences that are often intertwined with self-destructive drives. Whether it’s a longing for cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, pornography, a sports team, a celebrity, or even a particular religion, the mechanisms behind these fixations are fundamentally the same. This reveals a tangible and universal aspect of human experience.
Through this lens, I examine whether addiction is best understood as a disease or as part of a “biology of desire,” as proposed by neuroscientist and recovering addict Marc Lewis (2016).
The materials I use, glass, ceramic, and metal, are directly influenced by my upbringing and my family’s ties to industrial manufacturing. These materials carry both personal and symbolic significance, reflecting the residue of industrial landscapes and lived experience.
Informed by Jane Bennett’s concept of vibrant matter, I explore how materials possess their own agency and the capacity to affect and be affected. This allows me to explore the tension between opposing forces: desire and destruction, life and death.
Through my practice, I aim to spark conversations about recovery and representation, challenging the fetishisation of substances while addressing the societal stigmas surrounding addiction. By engaging with industrial materials and personal narratives, my work interrogates the intersections of desire, loss, and transformation, offering new perspectives on human behavior.