Empathic Gestures III

PhD EXHIBITION: This research is informed by my experience of embolic cerebral stroke and subsequent damage to my brain. The research and recovery process have provided me with a theoretical and experiential understanding of the contribution of this most primitive part of the brain and the nervous system to a deep sense of feeling threatened as well as to a profound sense of wellbeing. What has emerged is my understanding of the importance of a conscious practice of safety — that is, consciously placing myself in environments where I can allow a ‘bottom-up’ process, the body’s response to cues of safety, to emerge. Central to my project is the safety provided by the holding environment of creative practice. The works that comprise this exhibition document the ambivalences contained within the space of practice.