Recently, I had the honour of becoming the new Assistant Manager at POSK Gallery. The first exhibition I was put in charge of overseeing and assisting with was A D Tulloch – Dreams, Visions, Love & Living With Cancer. Naturally, like anything experienced for the first time, I will not forget it.
This exhibition resonated with me personally because of its connection to art therapy. Over the past two years, I’ve been coming out of difficult health battles and learning to navigate the emotional landscape of remission.
Tulloch’s art pieces are abstract or semi-abstract, at times reminiscent of African influence — especially in the mark making and symbolism present. She described to me the process by which she creates her paintings; often it is automatic, almost trance-like. This allows the work to remain emotionally authentic and spontaneous — a subconscious pouring of raw emotion that must come when one is living with cancer.
Each painting has to be understood from the artist’s personal perspective. Every piece has its own story, which, once known, adds to its emotional weight and artistic value.
The artworks also need to be placed within the spiritual context in which they were created. Once they were hung in POSK Gallery, they transformed the space — creating an environment that encouraged conversation between visitors.
At one point during the private view, everyone sat together in a circle and shared their spiritual views and experiences. The discussions even drifted towards ancestors — which made perfect sense, as the art itself comes from a place of therapy and healing.
Tulloch explained to me that her art is inspired by her ancestral connection — a deep awareness of her roots, an honouring of the past in an age obsessed with the future. Art made with soul in an age of artificial intelligence.
Many of the paintings are charged with bright, complementary colours that radiate energy. This creates a powerful contrast between the vibrancy of the colours and the deeply personal, sometimes sad stories behind them.
Attending the private view made me realise that I should continue to use art as a medium for processing emotional journeys. After all, art existed long before capitalism was invented.
The paintings were large, their scale creating the illusion that one could step inside them — or be swallowed whole by the colours.
What stayed with me most, however, were not the formal elements of the work, but the feeling — the atmosphere, the intimacy of the exhibition. A refuge for vulnerability in an overstimulated world shaped by globalisation.
In times of conflict, this show invited a deeper reflection on the anxiety of mortality. I left with a renewed sense of courage — the courage to keep going and pursue my personal goals despite economic challenges, because the things that truly matter are found within our souls.
I believe that such art is more needed now than ever before in modern history. Anyone who sees Tulloch’s work and reads the stories behind her paintings is bound to reflect on their own journey through life, asking questions such as:
Where have I been, and where am I heading?
