Hartlepool Art Gallery is preparing to welcome a powerful, moving and uplifting new exhibition by local artist Emily Carter, whose work explores grief and the invisible threads that connect us –
both physically and spiritually – with those no longer with us.
Feeling Into The Unknown – which runs from Saturday 31 January to Saturday 18 April - brings together an inspiring body of abstract painting shaped by Emily’s lifelong obsession with colour and her deep love of the natural world.
A Yorkshire lass who has called Hartlepool home for more than 20 years, Emily has been painting since her childhood in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and grew up surrounded by nature and encouragement to create.
Emily Carter with one of her artworks, 'Medusa'
Her Dad, John, found solace in photography after experiencing the trauma of war as a child, while her Mum, Christine, discovered art later in life, enrolling on an art course after retiring from nursing. Emily comes from a long line of artists and this runs like an unseen thread through her work.
Emily went on to study at The Northern School of Art, but the pressures of adult life took her away from painting. After a 15-year career teaching art, motherhood became a turning point, reigniting her creativity and leading her to leave the corporate school system to pursue her real joy in life – being an artist.
Through meditation, intuitive mark-making and a deep exploration of colour, Emily began creating again — first from her kitchen worktop, then from a spare bedroom, to her now studio in the family home.
Her abstract style grew after firstly painting landscapes, to using colour, movement and instinct as a way of processing grief and reconnecting with herself. Some of the more recent pieces in the exhibition were created after the passing of her Mum, with Emily painting with her eyes closed, guided by ancestral energies, elemental forces and what she describes as “the quiet pull of the celestial – especially the moon.”
Visitors will also find interactive elements throughout the gallery. A dedicated Little Artists Wall celebrates young creatives and encourages children to experiment freely, while the playful colour wheel invites people of all ages to discover their personal connection to colour.
Emily's art community will also be showcasing their work - she wanted to give others who have taken part in her weekly classes, Sip and Paints, and her more creative spiritual classes this opportunity.
Running throughout the entire exhibition space is a continuous neon pink pencil line. This represents the thread of life — how we move through different chapters, relationships and experiences, weaving together joy, loss, growth and change. It acts as a visual guide, gently linking each work and inviting visitors to consider their own path.
At the end of the exhibition, visitors will be invited to write a message to a loved one — something they wish they had said, or would like to say again. These messages will be placed into a box and will be held until April, when participants will be invited to take part in a fire ceremony on the beach, releasing the words into the wider universe as an act of letting go, honouring and remembrance.
A mirrored space offers another moment of reflection. Visitors can write directly onto the mirror — a note to themselves, or to someone no longer here — asking: What would you say if you had the chance?
There is also a more playful, interactive area featuring a colourful backdrop of the artwork for photographs, alongside a candle-lighting station where visitors can light a tea light in memory of a loved one.
Emily continues to nurture new creative spirits through her online classes and local art sessions.
'Medusa' by Emily Carter
Emily said: “I have created a space that really shows who I and all of us are. We all have a story, and are weaving our way along this thread of twists and turns.
“I want everyone to know that art and creativity is for them - even if you were told otherwise. You are welcome in these cultural spaces, they are for you.
“Find those glimmers in the everyday. I want to help others reconnect back to themselves through art. "
Councillor Karen Oliver, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Housing, Growth and Communities Committee, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be hosting Emily Carter’s exhibition in Hartlepool Art Gallery.
“Her work is both moving and uplifting, offering visitors a deeply personal creative journey that I’m sure many people will connect with.
“Hartlepool has a fantastic artistic community, and exhibitions like this celebrate the incredible talent we have in our town while also inspiring people of all ages to explore their own creativity.”
Entry to the exhibition is free and Hartlepool Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am to 4pm. For more information visit www.hartlepoolartgallery.co.uk