Gradex banner
Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Deirdre McIntosh

Deirdre Of The Sorrows

Painting
2023
Mixed media on raw canvas
24" x 34"
My artistic focus centers on the body, particularly my personal experiences as a young person living with heart disease and relying on a pacemaker to manage it. Because of the numerous surgeries I have had, I have accumulated scars which act as reminders of my condition that currently has no cure. In this piece, I envision the canvas as a stitched-together body struggling to heal, represented by the pieces of fabric spilling out. This piece resonates with my ongoing battle to repair and sustain my own heart health. The piece's title, "Deirdre of the Sorrows," comes from an Irish legend, and the name Deirdre means "heartbroken." I find this amusingly fitting, as it references the literal "brokenness" of my own heart due to my condition.

Share with someone

Deirdre Of  The Sorrows
Deirdre Of The Sorrows

Work by

Deirdre McIntosh

Drawing & Painting

“I explore the tactile process of staining fabric to create self-portraits which take on delicate abstract forms. Influenced by soak-stain painting, I strive to create a balance between controlling...” [More]