Grief Talks by Caitlin Hanna

This exhibition is a letter to my parents, an explanation to my friends, and the truth of it all for myself.

My art acts as a diary, allowing me to spew my emotions out in a way that doesn’t eat me alive, and my work itself is expressive, which means I can disappear into the work without having to keep a foot in the real world. I use different mediums as tools to communicate, the focus being the thoughts and experiences behind the work rather than the skill in the use of the tools. The use of language runs through all my work, as I believe that not only is the use of language an art, but also that it creates a work that is accessible to wider audiences.

The exhibition is titled Grief Talks, as I have used text to express the thoughts from my grief, and because of the constant chatter of grief, the ever-present monologue of grief in my head. It snakes its way into your daily activities, voicing itself at the slightest moment. As humans, we experience a range of emotions and thoughts, but are restricted by ideas of what is acceptable and appropriate, which limits what we express and the extent to which we express it. However, it is vital that all our emotions and feelings are expressed and understood to live fully. I hope that by exhibiting my grief, I provide a means of engaging with your own thoughts and emotions.

I have used fabric and embroidery for this exhibition because it is a gentle medium, and the process of moving through grief is about allowing gentleness and giving yourself space to feel the emotions that you need to without judgement. I also used cardboard for my paintings because it doesn’t have the crisp professionalism of the more conventional canvas. It is found in every home and buckles and buckles as the paint is applied, forcing you to mold it into the shape you want, as the griever does under the emotions of loss.

The after isn’t spoke about much, the part where you decide it’s time to return to the world and realise how bent out of shape you have become. It forces you to look at yourself from a different perspective, to allow yourself the softness of textiles, or the brutal re-shaping of clamps on damp cardboard. It forges a new you, with kinks and misshapings, with rambling monologues in the back of your head, seen in winding threads. The displayed work is the start of that.

Caitlin Hanna is a neurodivergent, queer artist based in Perth, Scotland.

At a young age Caitlin discovered art as a way to express internal struggles, during a prolonged period of mental illness. This creative drive has fuelled further studies and Caitlin’s continued artistic practice. Caitlin studied Fine Art at the University of Cumbria, graduating in 2021, and has since worked on a variety of projects as a professional artist and practitioner. Recent projects range from aiding in research investigating the accessibility of creative courses at university, to their ongoing role as a freelance creative practitioner at a local social enterprise, supporting and enabling young people to get into the creative industries and positive creative destinations. Caitlin’s interests lie in working in the community, supporting people, and sharing the freedom creativity has given them.

Caitlin is a contemporary artist working across a variety of media. With a prime focus on the message or feeling at the centre of the artwork conveying more than the media itself, the media is selected based on what feels best for each intention. Caitlin’s creative work often features confessions, drawing direct inspiration from their own emotions and life experiences. The incorporation of text, and the idea of language as part of artistic expression is a prominent theme across Caitlin’s work.