Making Art, Making Sense - Art exhibition by deafblind artists in Bristol, UK

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‘Making Art, Making Sense’ an exhibition of artworks by deafblind artists is taking place at the Royal West Academy in Bristol from 7 – 14 August.

Organised by Sense, the national deafblind charity, ‘Making Art, Making Sense’ will showcase the work of 30 artists from across the south-west region, London and Birmingham. The artists experiment with a variety of art forms including painting, sculpture, textiles, sensory photography and performance.

Steve Le Fevre, the BBC Radio Bristol presenter, who will be opening the exhibition, said:

I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the work of the deafblind artists, and hopefully raise a bit more awareness of the great support Sense gives in changing lives through the arts and creativity.

‘Making Art, Making Sense’ has been designed to be fully accessible and the venue will offer audiences the chance to physically engage with the artworks. The multi-sensory and tactile creations will invite visitors to explore art through touch and gain insight into the experiences of deafblind people, who often use touch to communicate and make sense of the world around them.

Head of Arts & Wellbeing at Sense, Nic Vogelpoel, who curated the exhibition, said:

Accessing arts and cultural experiences can be a real challenge for so many of the deafblind population. The theme of the exhibition is making art to make sense, and for many deafblind people, the process of making and sharing art is an opportunity to express emotion, dreams and imaginings in a public way and share in the cultural life of their communities.

A series of events, talks and activities will complement the exhibition and the artists will be on-site throughout the week to discuss their work, give sensory tours and run workshops.

‘Making art, Making Sense’ runs 7–14 August, Monday–Friday 10–5p.m. at the Royal West Academy, Queen’s Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1PX. Admission is free.