Feeling the Feelings, Jennifer Hamilton
Seven segments of a body in abstract form, sewn to a long fabric column hanging from the wall to the floor.
Title: Feeling the Feelings
Artist: Jennifer Hamilton
Date: 2023
Medium/Materials: Acrylic on drop cloth
Dimensions: 91.44 cm x 609.6 cm
Form/Genre: Painting, textile art
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Spiritual care; Medical research; Misogyny; Emotion
Artist Statement:
"You are not the sum total of other people’s projections and fantasies. You are not the
trauma or the things that fill the time since. You are not your dreams or the characters in
your dreams. You are not an expert or a fool. No one knows you, not even yourself, so
stop trying to explain who you are. You are not intelligible, legible, digestible, or
recyclable. You are not here to please or displease. You are not invincible, invisible,
visionary, or susceptible to interpretation. You are not here forever."
(Artist statement originally published in WAY - zine of dreams)
Being a female hospital chaplain and attempting to pursue the academic requirements through theological institutions has been challenging for Jennifer Hamilton. Although the field has opened up beyond the male and religious standards of the past, the vestiges of patriarchy continue to be barriers to entry in both academia and in Hamilton’s field. She explored these issues in a research-creation project, Painting as a reflection on Spiritual Care and her art practice has continued to be a reflection of the work that she does in hospitals. Currently pursuing an MA at Concordia University, Hamilton’s research has turned to illuminated manuscripts in preparation for another research-creation project where she will create her own artist book. In the meantime, she is working on a series of paintings, and she publishes zines annually.
Cultural Context / Story Behind the Work:
Created in response to work challenges, feeling the feelings in Hamilton’s own body as she endured workplace harassment from her male religious colleagues, these seven pieces were made for a research-creation project reflecting on spiritual care through painting.
Rights for this Image:
This digital image is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to share it for non-commercial purposes, as long as you credit the artist.
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