A solo exhibition by Haley Craw Until July 31st
In the solo exhibition Touching Spirit Through Flesh, Haley Craw follows the voices and visions of Medieval women, portraying the transforming emblems of an unseen world through a deeply intuitive creative process. Hiding in crevices, masses of hair, and on the wings of divine or diabolical creatures, the work explores the permeable boundaries of the flesh and the spirit. Two mystics from Norfolk are present spectres in Craw’s work, Julian of Norwich (c.1343-1416) and Margery Kempe (1373-1438), their mysticism rooted in a search for spiritual depth and meaning experienced through the body. Julian of Norwich had vivid visions layered in colourful sensation, and Margery Kempe wept uncontrollably, her body physically releasing her internal passion. This approach to seeking knowledge guided by sensation mirrors Craw’s creative process, using intuitive gesture, colour and form to depict vibrating figures that move beyond the barrier of skin and into an unfolding space within the ghostly imagination. The paintings merge personal expression with historical reference, depicting shape-shifting beings that challenge the border between the internal and external, who demand their presence be felt in a paradoxical realm they refuse to fully define.
Events during the exhibition:
Thursday 19th June – Live performance by Haley Craw 7pm
Wednesday 25th June – Artist talk and panel discussion on medieval women and creative practice 7pm
