Being Seen: In Art & Words
at Lewisham Arthouse

A thought-provoking public event and exhibition inspired by testimonies of growth and personal recovery from trauma.

Exhibition: 13–23 November 2025
Venue: Lewisham Arthouse, 140 Lewisham Way, London SE14 6PD
Admission: Free
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12–6pm, or by arrangement
Private View: 13 November, 6–9pm. Free registration via Eventbrite.

Lewisham Arthouse will host Being Seen: In Art and Words — an exhibition exploring what it means to be seen in the aftermath of trauma. Through painting, poetry, and testimony, the project illuminates powerful personal journeys of resilience, healing, and hope.

The Exhibition: 1st October – 2nd November

Being Seen is an exhibition by Andy Farr featuring paintings from the past seven years, inspired by personal stories of resilience and trauma recovery. It visually reflects hidden pain and healing journeys. The show emphasizes how being “seen” aids healing through shared vulnerability and connection. The exhibition aims to foster empathy, hope, and understanding, portraying trauma as both suffering and growth.

Supported by the Institute of Mental Health, MIND, Birth Trauma Association, With-you, Day One Trauma support, University of Nottingham and Arts Council England Andy’s work involves diverse individuals affected by trauma.

Lewisham Arthouse (LAH) is a not-for-profit, artist-led co-operative based in a Grade II listed building in Deptford. Founded in 1992, it provides 40 artist studios and delivers an associated public gallery and workshop programme.

Trigger Warning

This exhibition and event explore themes of trauma, including emotional distress, violence, abuse, loss, and grief. Content may evoke strong emotional reactions. Audiences are encouraged to engage with care and sensitivity.

All of the Artwork is still on show in ArtCan’s Virtual Gallery

The exhibition features work from the last 8 years accompanied by poetry, personal narratives and video that deepen the understanding of trauma and recovery.

The paintings are the result of collaborations with the Institute of Mental Health, MIND, Birth Trauma Association, With-you, Day One Trauma support, University of Nottingham and Arts Council England.

VIEW The GALLERY HERE

PRNITS AVAILABLE FROM EARLIER PROJECTS

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

INISIDE OUT: portraits of emotional resilience

I was commissioned to work with a group of people from across the Black and South Asian communities in Nottingham to explore their experiences of mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The paintings are currently on display at the IMH, Nottingham 

Portraits of Coventry

Portraits of Isolation

The Twisted Rose and Other Lives

What people have said about Being Seen:

Marissa Lambert, founder of With-you peer support Consultancy. “Andy Farr brings such care and connection to his work when supporting narratives of distress, growth and personal recovery. The exhibition will leave you feeling seen within our shared humanity”

Jaime Richards, Coventry Haven, “Andy’s work resonates with me, and I'm certain, other survivors”.

Heather Davison from the Restless Movement Collective. “We believe dance speaks where words fall short— and Transformative Pathways takes expressive movement as its starting point to embody Em’s journey through recovery.  This new work reveals the emotional truth of healing and how we can find ourselves again".

Andy Farr, artist “I’m continually moved by the courage of those who share their stories and allow me to interpret their journeys in paint. Through this work I seek to increase understanding of trauma, foster empathy, and inspire hope”

Kate Enters, Founder ArtCan "The beauty and power of this particular exhibition is that it enables the viewer to engage at a level that resonates with them. In my opinion it is a 'must see' - a chance to expand your understanding of potentially triggering and challenging topics through the universal language that is art. Responses from our virtual exhibition described genuine empathy: whether the viewer decides to engage with the work purely on a visual level or desires to use the visual as a path to a deeper understanding and exploration of the stories behind each work."

Lucian Milasan, Nottingham Trent University talking about the launch event in 2024 “It was a deep experience, heavy at times as expected, but also light when hope started coming through in people's stories which were ones of resilience rather than vulnerability”.

Dr Elvira Perez, The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) “Those that ‘donated’ their stories felt understood as if by translating their words into colour their sufferings diminished”. 

Take a peek at the exhibition catalogue here:

Transformative Pathways: In Art and Words

CLICK HERE to can see films of the event on the University of Nottingham website

Alongside the opening of the Being Seen Exhibition at the Institute of Mental Health last Nottingham many of those I had painted talked of their personal recovery journeys.

In the words of one of the audience:

“It was a deep experience, heavy at times as expected, but also light when hope started coming through in people's stories which turned out to be stories of resilience, more than vulnerability”. 

Breaking Free People's Choice Prize winners UK Artists Exhibtion 2023. I painted this piece for an exhibition at Galerie ART POOL in Vienna. I wanted to reflect on the passing of time since I painted my first Carousel horse in 2017 as part of my exploration of bipolar disorder.