Kasia Tatys is an artist based in Lancaster and is a recent graduate of Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts. She is also a founder of The Gap Studio, a new artist-led collective and platform based in Morecambe.
Kasia’s Project
Kasia is interested in belonging and how identity is shaped by the spaces we find ourselves inhabiting. Her work as part of Is There Anybody Out There has been influenced by her recent experiences; of moving between campus and home, and moving house within Lancaster during pandemic restrictions.
Kasia’s practice is rooted in drawing, and is influenced by a desire to make this technique more accessible, looking to artists like Chloe Briggs for mentorship.
Kasia has considered how best to communicate and engage with her local neighbourhood, asking the questions: what constitutes a neighbourhood if you’re moving around and communicating remotely? How can drawing be made accessible for those who may lack confidence, time and materials?
Thinking about ways to connect with new people, without relying entirely on online communication, the approach to connection that Kasia is taking uses the methodology of postcards which can offer a format that can be intimate and heartfelt or casual and off-hand, Kasia has asked participants to follow a simple instruction. This is communicated as part of the design on the front the card – with two versions, one that is more colourful, and one that is easier to read – inviting participants to think about how the objects that surround them relate to their identity and connections, and then to make a quick drawing on the back. These can then be left where they are found, posted on or kept. See the postcard designs below:
Learning and Next Steps
During the lockdown earlier this year we issued a call-out for participants to sign up and #DrawtoConnect - people from all over the country took part and were sent one of Kasia’s postcards along with a stamp to send it on again. We gave participants an email address and hashtag to share their sketches with us, and we will be evaluating and communicating the outcomes of this experiment soon.
