Imagine taking the first breath of air after being underwater for a long time. How does it feel to finally breathe? To think clearly again? To experience all your senses? This exhibition explores the feeling of rest, joy and relief after an intense period of exploitation and emotions in my professional and personal life. After being burned out at work and becoming estranged from my family, I went through an intense period of burnout, grief and trauma. I had to relearn how to rest and enjoy life again. It was a time of filtering out my life, resetting my boundaries and re-establishing my values. The poetry, collages, photos and paintings capture this journey of healing, finding balance, and surrounding myself with peace.

So to my past and all that I left behind, I have one last question:

sorry, did you miss me?

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Trujillo is a multidisciplinary artist exploring her Peruvian-German American heritage as an estranged person based in Liverpool through painting, collages, photography and poetry. She studied fine art, art history and museum studies before switching over to social work. Currently she is completing her Social Work postgraduate degree and is also working as a freelancer within the Creative Health sector. She is interested in socially engaged art practices, community work, decolonisation and ancestral wisdom. “I use my art to support my mental health and explore themes of identity, belonging, familiar and platonic relationships, trauma, grief, and healing”.