Caitlin Heffernan
My work is inspired by the natural world and the experience of being in and within different natural environments. Mixing real and fictive forms the paintings develop as surreal and psychological landscapes, they are inspired by how we, as human beings, co-exist with the natural world and make imaginative connections with the environment. I take photos of my surroundings and on my travels but also make lots of drawings - often from memory. As I draw, re-imagine, re-draw and re-create landscapes in the paintings, patterning and mark making are ways to share my experience of these places.
I have been researching different ‘underworlds’ and visited a huge cave complex near Tomar, Portugal. I have also been looking at medieval depictions of animals mutating into hybrid forms. I am interested in a world where animals and non-humans have control as a way of re-setting the world and environment, where we as humans can perhaps become more animal.
I am an artist working across painting and installation. I have been working as an artist for over 20 years creating site-specific installations, soft sculpture and more recently paintings.
I have studied at Falmouth School of Art, Winchester School of Art, MA at Central St Martin’s School of Art and at Konstfack University, as part of a research lab, Stockholm, Sweden. I have been part of the Turps| Hastings Off-Site programme in 2023 and Turps Correspondence Course 21/22 and 22/23. I will be studying on the MA Painting at The Royal College of Art 24/25.
I have been awarded commissions with Metal Arts and Somerset Artworks and selected for residencies both nationally and internationally. I have been part of the Jerwood Drawing Prize and exhibited nationally and internationally.
For the last 10 years, I have developed site-specific projects as part of Unravelled unravelled.org.uk unpicking social histories and collections to explore untold and hidden histories of places and objects, working as both artist and curator.
During the last 3 years I have concentrated on developing paintings which bring together a range of my interests in the natural and uncanny, creating psychologically charged works.