Art Spotlight: Portraits

Portraits have been a mainstay of artists across centuries and cultures. Self portraiture can be a space for self-reflection, so it is no surprise that our members frequently turn to this form at our therapy studio. To suddenly be separated from an entire life – from family, friends, jobs, and even language – is a devastating shock and can naturally lead to questions of identity. Art has the freedom of going beyond borders and language, which makes it such a powerful tool for exploring these tough personal questions.

Meanwhile, capturing the face of another – be it a celebrity or a family member – is not only an exercise in technical skill, but also in conveying an essence of the subject through expression and style. Our members typically choose a subject with whom they resonate; finding familiarity and solidarity when the experience of forced migration and difficult process of seeking asylum isolates them and marks them out as ‘other’.

Below are just some of the portraits created by our talented studio members over the years.