ARTIST STATEMENT
This piece was created as the result of a two-week artist residency at Awakenings Art in February 2022. Not only was I creating my largest work in the shortest amount of time, but it was accompanied by reading stories of SA survivors along with writing poetry and journaling every day. This has been my first piece that has entirely transformed my outlook on healing and the process in which I create.
Supplemented Healing exhibits the story of survivors of trauma helping each other heal through filling in the gaps. From the perspective of both trigonometry and healing, when looking at one angle, in order to make it a full 180° you need another angle to help get you there. Those angles are supplemental. I think that when healing from trauma, sometimes we strive and wish for a full 180°, to turn around and move on. But we can’t get there on our own.
Survivors are all at different angles of healing, and you know, I don’t think we need to be at 180°. But I wouldn’t even be close if it wasn’t for the survivor community that I have found. To help me, supplementally, turn around, move forward, and heal in a new direction.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gillian Marwood is a queer sculptor, jewelry designer, business owner, and stop motion animator. They grew up living all over the world, though mainly raised in Scotland, they now consider Chicago home. Their work focuses on sex work, trauma, and queerness which they bring to light through their stop motion films and sculptures. Their work was first featured in Woman Made Gallery, and since then has been seen in Locus, Elgin fringe festival, The Robin, and Awakenings gallery as an artist in residence. When they’re not sculpting, they’re usually working on their business GERM, making sex-positive handmade jewelry.
© Gillian Marwood