Heather Dornan Wilson, ‘He Sees Her’ , Embroidered Portrait, 2023.

‘Connection: Disconnection’ explores elements of a shared human experience: loss. Dornan navigates the journey of loss, through personal experience. Works manifest in sound, stitch, object, and imagery, collating together to narrate poetic stories touching on, grief, loss, gratitude, and the healing process. The exhibition reflects on death and loss as a fracturing of connection, creating cracks, yet without complete separation of parts. Fractured objects and shifting embroidered details dissipate to a single bare thread, manifesting as material metaphor for attempting to retain memories that feel like they are unravelling. Emphasising how memory, through love and loss can remain connected and held together. The loss of purpose is reflected in ‘Connection: Disconnection’ through Dornan’s own ill health and physical limitations impacting her hands and subsequently artist practice.

‘Connection: Disconnection’ brings together a re-envisioning of cathartic healing through stages of making. Dornan will create work in situ and in process. New works will unveil weekly, combined with accompanying texts published in the form of a blog.

Stage 1 – Unravelling- 13th – 21st January

Stage 2 – Brokenness- 22nd – 29th January

Stage 3 – Memory- 29th – 4th February

Stage 4 – Honouring- 5th – 9th February

Heather Dornan Wilson (b. Belfast) works experimentally with a range of media and materials. Her current work and research touches on the crossover between art, science, and human experience. She plays with a visual language that captures and celebrates stories of imperfection and brokenness, juxtaposed with beauty, potential, healing, and hope. The artist has extensively exhibited her work, and worked on numerous commissions, including visual responses for the NI Science Festival.

‘Connection: Disconnection’ is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (principal funder).

Hether Dornan Wilson talks about her work with Gail Mahon