Re Connected is an exhibition exploring creativity and colour while living with acquired brain injury.

Rachel Fitzpatrick is a designer and maker working at the interfaces of art, design and social practice. Re-Connectedexplores the artist’s reconnection with creativity and colour after her recovery from a neurological disorder and learning to live with an acquired brain injury.

 The exhibition, running April 20th – May 20th in the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn, spans two gallery spaces exploring visual elements of Rachel’s rediscovery of her creativity. Her work initially began with making but with an absence of confidence in colour.  The pieces in gallery one explore this reconnection with colour through making, music and storytelling with some pieces taking inspiration from stories depicted in native folk songs.

Gallery two includes the installation Re-Framing, a collaboration between Rachel and participants from local charity Brain Injury Matters NI. Re-Framing charts a cyclical journey of change and transformation after acquired brain injury.

Over several months of workshops, Rachel and the participants worked to develop a way to create origami ‘brains’. The installation is created in an infinity loop of origami brains, representing a journey of re-framing life after acquired brain injury. Bright colours dominate the final piece, representing positive memories and experiences, with green and blue coloured paper suspended on linen thread representing the community formed by Brain Injury Matters.

This exhibition has been kindly supported through funding by the Arts Council NI through the National Lottery.