Catriona Faulkner

Lives and works in Rochester, UK

Artist statement

Catriona Faulkner is an artist whose practice explores themes of pain, ritual, and devotion at critical, aesthetic, and personal levels. Utilising assemblage and hand-stitch techniques, she articulates and examines her own experience of living with chronic pain and related health challenges that arose following an industrial accident. At first glance, Catriona's work may appear deceptively comfortable and appealing, enticing viewers with its opulence and intrigue. However, a deeper exploration of her language and underlying narratives reveals a personal world that confronts chronic pain. The concept of ritual plays a significant role in her work, where the act of creation itself becomes a form of devotion and healing. Catriona’s practice embodies an obsessive and all-consuming process of collection, selection, and creation, interwoven with symbolic references and metaphors where personal icons are used in their religious context of contemplation and connection. The selection process is not arbitrary; it reflects her desire to reclaim and celebrate the overlooked and discarded.

Artwork