What kind of a year has 2023 been for you?
It has been an absolute whirlwind with some really positive and exciting moments but also quite difficult bits as well. I lost a really close family member and that was obviously really hard to deal with, but I think that has driven me in a way to achieve the things I have done this year because it’s what they would have wanted.
I’ve been lucky to take part in several shows in and around Manchester which has felt like a key step in my career having just finished education and entering into the real world. I’ve also got a new job recently and a new studio, so lots of new exciting things to end the year. My mum always says if you don’t laugh you’ll cry and I think that’s a really good attitude to live by. I definitely try to just focus on the positives as certain things in life you can’t change and you’ve just got to live with them.
Over the last 12 months my confidence has grown massively. I used to be pretty much a nervous wreck going to things like openings and previews, but I think by putting myself outside of my comfort zone it’s reassured me that when I engage in what might be called ‘arty conversations’ I do know what I’m talking about!
What do you wish had happened this year that didn’t?
Well I was hoping that the Tate would offer me that solo show but unfortunately it hasn’t happened so far… but maybe next year! But seriously, I try not to think about the things that didn’t happen too much. There’s lots of things that didn’t happen, you know little shows and opportunities, but I try to focus on the things that did. I’d prefer to look forward and see them as opportunities rather than things that didn’t happen.
What would you characterise as your major achievement this year and why?
My major achievement would be finishing my MA and getting a distinction, which I’m really happy with. So yes, over everything else that’s definitely something I’ve worked really hard towards this year. It was a bit of whirlwind. It feels like last week that I was thinking about my first unit and what I was going to make and you know, having that long summer holiday from the BA, then getting back into my practice and now I finished it all three months ago. Where has the time gone? It was such a quick year, but also very positive.
How has being awarded the Castlefield Gallery mentee prize impacted your practice?
It is definitely the most helpful thing that’s ever happened to me in terms of my artistic career. Having access to that vast programme of mentors straight out of my BA perfectly supplemented my MA and they’ve helped me to expand my network of artists and organisations in Manchester and beyond. I’ve gone to Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool, and had access to facilities and tools like 3D printers, which has been so useful. It’s been really nice to not just be working with people in my home city but also explore the wider North.
It’s still continuing now even though my year of mentorship has essentially finished. They continue to help me in lots of ways which has helped that transition out of education, which I think a lot of artists would really benefit from. It’s been a perfect stepping stone to get me to the next stage in my career and that continued relationship with them means a lot to me.
Your work responds to your lived experience with a chronic illness. Do you feel that progress has been made regarding opening up discussions surrounding disability and illness within the arts and society?
I’m diagnosed with ME, which is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, which a lot more people have perhaps heard of. There’s also been a lot of weirdness with my illness and it’s a really problematic diagnosis because it’s often a diagnosis that’s given to people when doctors don’t know what’s going on. My practice is obviously about those themes and I think it’s just because my condition is so intertwined with my every day. Sometimes it’s really bad and sometimes it’s all right. At the moment I’m doing quite good, which is nice but then I do have really bad periods where I have relapses in my illness.
My practice is a way of me kind of normalising these weird experiences that I have. Recently I’ve been making things that are perhaps a little bit comical and funny, because some of the stuff that happens to me is so weird and when I tell people they they’re almost like ‘oh God I shouldn’t laugh’. I think actually maybe you should laugh as it is quite weird and odd!
Through the pandemic health and illness was brought to the forefront of everybody’s attention and it became a topic everywhere you looked. But we still don’t talk about how all of our medication is locked away in cabinets. We don’t talk about our conditions and it’s still very private and confidential. Obviously that’s fine if that’s what you wish but I think if you want to have these kind of conversations about your illness or ailments or disabilities then you absolutely should be able to freely and openly, without it being awkward.
I’ve had lots of experiences this year where I’ve witnessed conversations start from people looking at my work, which has been really nice. I’ve spoken to a lot of people about my illness and people look at my work and then come up to me and ask me about my illness, which is always nice. It’s been great to see these conversations about health naturally start with other people when I’m not even involved in the conversation – it’s just from looking at my work. That feels very rewarding.
What are your hopes for 2024?
I’m hoping to be part of a few group shows in Manchester and the wider North. I’ve also recently been a part of some projects that are not necessarily directly related to my practice but are to do with the wider cultural sector in Manchester, one of which was being involved in the cultural strategy for Manchester for the next 10 years. More recently I was working with Manchester Museum to develop better engagement within the museum with young people. I would like to be involved in more projects like that.
