Photography @ Elysium

Elysium have recently opened their fabulous new gallery in Swansea High Street. This Tardis like space currently holds the best of their Espy Photography Award 2019 and ‘Reflections on Identity following Brain Injury’ – an exhibition I have been intimately involved with.

The Exhibition opened last Friday and runs until 22nd June. Not only is there some fabulous and moving photography, there’s also a great bar. It’s a win win. Don’t miss out!

‘Reflections on Identity following Brain Injury’ is the gallery’s community space, known as YOURSPACE. This is how they explain the purpose of the space, “This is the first exhibition of our YOURSPACE series of activities. YOURSPACE (in partnership with local community groups) will be a dedicated gallery for showing work, learning new skills and social development. With the support of elysium gallery, this space will be led by the Swansea community. Aimed at community groups who create artwork as a developmental resource, the space will be an outlet for artists and groups on the fringe and champion the creative and independent sectors of Swansea. The space will become a focal point for community creative growth and a place that encourages and celebrates artistic and skills achievement.”

The BIS exhibition was developed from photo created during three of my photography courses with their patients over the last two years, and is project managed by Emma Brunton, a brain injury survivor. Great job Emma!

The aim of the exhibition is to make visible some of the hidden challenges people experience following brain injury. Brain Injury can affect every aspect of a person’s life and fundamentally affect their sense of identity. Survivors typically struggle with the question ‘Who am I now?’ The exhibition attempts to convey conceptually difficult psychological constructs as people experience life post brain injury. The exhibition includes representations of the self before the injury, immediately after and several years down the line. The work displayed attempts to convey people’s experiences using photographs taken by survivors following brain injury, through our use of filters, colour and sizing of photographs.

It’s an interesting, challenging exhibition that goes beyond many national and international competitions and exhibitions. Do go see it!