Christine Gallagher

The phrase "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable", attributed to the Mexican Poet, Cesar A. Cruz, resonates deeply and aligns perfectly with the message I aim to project through my artworks in my pursuit of connection with those who also seek solace and comfort in pushing through difficult emotions to find peace.

Growing up in the North West of England, I was surrounded by aged photographs,
heirlooms, and stories that still shape my view of the world. My pieces reflect the tension between beauty and brokenness, fragility and strength—inviting viewers to confront discomfort, find meaning in imperfection, and connect with their own histories.

I approach each piece of work as a way of processing memory and my understanding of past experiences; how they have shaped me as an adult and as a woman navigating the world today. My art gives voice to forgotten objects, using broken dolls and discarded toys as metaphors for memory, trauma, and

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The phrase "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable", attributed to the Mexican Poet, Cesar A. Cruz, resonates deeply and aligns perfectly with the message I aim to project through my artworks in my pursuit of connection with those who also seek solace and comfort in pushing through difficult emotions to find peace.

Growing up in the North West of England, I was surrounded by aged photographs,
heirlooms, and stories that still shape my view of the world. My pieces reflect the tension between beauty and brokenness, fragility and strength—inviting viewers to confront discomfort, find meaning in imperfection, and connect with their own histories.

I approach each piece of work as a way of processing memory and my understanding of past experiences; how they have shaped me as an adult and as a woman navigating the world today. My art gives voice to forgotten objects, using broken dolls and discarded toys as metaphors for memory, trauma, and emotional resilience. I create work rooted in lived experience and
personal history—exploring themes of identity, nostalgia, social class, and survival.

In the subject matter I choose, I aim to evoke emotions via the use of objects and metaphors that, simultaneously, seem both fragile and defiant as testament to my own fortitude and emotional strength. I am interested in the power of objects to hold memory, to disturb and to comfort, and to challenge what is considered valuable or worthy. Through this lens, I offer artworks that are at once emotionally raw and quietly defiant—vulnerable yet resilient.

Some of my work is indeed difficult to look at and is certainly challenging but hopefully, beauty can be found for most in the fragility of its spirit.

BIOGRAPHY
I live and work as a full-time practicing artist in Chester, and I am currently enjoying a fruitful term as Artist in Residence at the University of Chester and working towards a culminating exhibition called, ‘Threads of Expression’ in July.