Caroline Harding
studio art // chardin51.wixsite.com/my-site // @charding_artBeyond Words
I am interested in pushing the boundaries of communication and integrating language into my being as an act of repossession. Growing up, I struggled to communicate with others. My speech impediment immobilized my verbal confidence, while dyslexia burned any lingering hope of thriving in the written world. I felt trapped and isolated in a world everyone else seemed to navigate with ease. However, art provided me with the tools and room to find my voice in a space that had rendered me silent. Through my artwork, I could make my thoughts, feelings, and experiences tangible to others.
In my series, Beyond Words, I am re-examining how dyslexia has shaped my understanding of my own identity. Beyond Words consists of five different 30-by-44-inch two-dimensional mixed media pieces. In this series, I consistently engage in the act of searching, which mirrors my struggle with self-expression. This work captures how this learning disability has affected my perception of myself both internally and externally through the societal lenses of intelligence. As the series progresses, uncertain lines transform into bold, fluid strokes as I learn to rekindle my voice through the visual world. Through mark, that which was wordless becomes realized in an act of both vulnerability and recovery.
