“Gorgious” centres around the life of Kirsty Miller, a woman with an Acquired Brain Injury. My work highlights her struggle for mobility and independence in a world surrounded by barriers and constrictions. Inherent in this work is a conflict. Behind every advancement in Kirsty’s condition is the possibility of an epileptic seizure which could deprive her of complete mobility or worse, lead to her death.

My mother as a carer for Kirsty and myself, having suffered with a medical condition, has been influential in my positive attitudes towards people with a disability. However, they have been ignored or excluded by society in general. “Gorgious” seeks to widen perceptions and change attitudes by presenting the person and not the disability.

My work involved a collaborative approach. Kirsty was essential in being able to tell her own story. It was therefore important to personally connect with her, to be involved in her everyday routines and all aspects of her daily life, in order to understand her struggle.

The reasons for my work concern breaking barriers. I want people to become more open-minded about people with a disability, to see their lives as similar to their own, that they too face challenges and have similar hopes, friendships and dreams. I want people to see behind the disability and get to know the real person. Additionally this was a personal journey in learning how to cope with pain and how others do so and that in learning that to be human is to struggle.

Clare Louise Bertram