ABOUT

My art often revolves around personal experiences and exploring identity. I create work that allows me to view myself more clearly and helps me to understand my place in the world. I never believed in restricting myself to one specialism and I see each project as an individual experience and journey. I am fascinated with the concept of 'maintenance art' proposed by the artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who is one of my biggest artistic idols.

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This project has given me the opportunity to work with amazing people who are open and determined to discover and express themselves through art. I am humbled by the participants' courage to try new things and it has been really inspiring to witness how the project empowers personal growth.

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I have recently been exploring performative art and investigating the blurred line between the 'physical' and 'digital' life we found ourselves living in. I am amazed by how the project was reinvented to work with such strange times and I am grateful for everyone's contribution and hard work which allowed 'Groundings' to continue. Perhaps now more than ever, people need to stay connected and this project has given us that. 

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I do not have words which could express how this experience has affected me. Addiction has always has a presence in my life and I arrived at this project with a good idea and understanding of illness and recovery. However, what I did not expect was how much I would learn from the participants and how much they have to give. I am thankful for the generosity of the clients who shared their experiences and creativity, and I am delighted to be able to celebrate their successes. Being a facilitator gave me a taste of what a fulfilling job should be like. I have never felt such a sense of belonging as I did during my time on this project. Art therapy is a career I am considering for the future, but I also feel that after finishing university I will not be yet in the right place to take on that level of responsibility. 

I am planning to go into teaching first in hope that I can keep giving back to the community but also because I believe it will help me to gain valuable life experiences. I will be waiting for a time when I feel ready to become a qualified art therapist and I am excited to see how this profession develops and moves forward. 'Groundings' has undoubtedly proven to be a success and my hope is that more similar projects and opportunities will emerge giving people the chance to connect.

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"Maintenance has to do with survival, with continuity over time. You can create something in a second; but whether  it's a person, a system, a city, in order to keep it, you have to keep going.  I think that one thin we must do is value and learn from those who provide this service". (Mierle Laderman Ukeles, undated)