London-based artist, Annabel Merrett, realised during a period of recovery that she had been a ‘shadow artist,’ hovering around artists without confronting her own creativity. Stepping forward, Merrett began painting, later attending art school to learn sculpting. Her work, based on observations and experiences of mental ill health, aims to present this charged topic digestibly, striving to produce compelling, even pleasing art that mirrors life.
Merrett draws on neuro-scientific insights from MRI scans to inform her work. She is fascinated by the brain’s workings, such as voluntary versus involuntary actions, and confused conscious reasoning versus subconscious motivations. Innovation in this area has exposed mental health prejudices, a progressive step that fuels Merrett’s work.
Merrett is also drawn to the human condition, the way learned behaviours, development, lifestyle, and personality shape how we choose to act and how we cope with the consequences. So often, we are propelled to protect ourselves, which often causes us to do the wrong thing and consequently makes our situation, maybe needlessly, worse. She asks, why do we do this?
Merrett is also available for private commission.
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Exhibitions
2023 The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
2023 The Museum of the Mind, Bethlem
2024 The Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
2024 The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
2024 The Gordon Museum of Pathology, King’s College London
Talks
2024 The Museum of the Mind, Bethlem
2024 The Museum of the Mind, Bethlem, transcript
2024 The Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
Q & A at The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Interview
2024 by artist in residence, Adam Hines-Green, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
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Podcast