A Manx artist has shared that her creative journey “gradually helped me reconnect with myself” while recuperating from a chronic illness.
Her exhibition, titled This Wild, Achingly Beautiful Place, is currently showcased in London and was conceived by Bethany Williams from Douglas, drawing inspiration from her path to recovery.
In 2013, Williams received a diagnosis for a condition known as new daily persistent headache, which inflicts intense face and head pain. Although she initially entered remission, her symptoms returned in 2022 with increased severity, rendering her bedridden.
Describing the exhibition as “a heartfelt tribute to the land that sustained me, the pain that transformed me, and the version of myself I never anticipated encountering,” she conveyed her emotions.
“I spent a year and a half confined to my bed, and while I’ve gradually been getting better, it has been incredibly tough,” she recounted.
During that challenging time, Williams, who had recently achieved recognition by winning the British Fashion Council and Vogue Fashion Designer Fund supporting emerging talents, relocated back to the Isle of Man from London.
“I discovered ways to manage my life, and being back on the Isle of Man provided me with the time and environment to engage with my artistic process,” she added.
Throughout her healing journey, she delved into various forms of creativity, such as ceramics and immersing herself in nature, which she explained “slowly guided me back to who I am.”
“For the exhibition, we’ve created light sculptures,” she noted. “Due to my heightened sensitivity to light, I aimed to use it as a symbol of my recovery.”
Marking her first solo exhibition, the collection features three textile light sculptures representing different phases of her healing, alongside porcelain sculptures, paintings, a fabric installation, and a wooden screen.
Williams expressed that the display encapsulates her recovery journey, which, while “quite painful,” also brought forth “remarkably beautiful life lessons.”
She drew inspiration from the landscape of the Isle of Man, particularly from elements like the standing stones, rugged highlands, and wind-sculpted trees.
Attracted to elevated areas where blueberries, gorse, and heather flourish, she described these landscapes as “beautifully bleak.”
“I aimed to evoke a ghostly, beautiful, eerie quality in my work, reflecting the experience of losing oneself and the gradual journey of returning to one’s true self,” she shared.
“It’s a tribute to the land that nurtured me, the pain that reshaped me, and the unexpected version of myself I encountered.”
The exhibition is currently available for viewing at Bethlem Gallery in London until the end of January and is scheduled to be displayed at the House of Manannan in 2027.
