Gallery show about loss and growth

A NEW exhibition is bringing a former nurse’s encapsulation on the healing stages of grief to bare on the walls of the Unicorn Lane outdoor gallery.

Dying to Heal is artist Nikkole Weightman’s solo exhibition debut, and she said it’s about getting more people to think about their mental health and its relationship with grief.

“For me, it’s about mental health awareness,” she said. “I worked in palliative care for about 18 months and saw a lot of people working through grief.

“It also came out of my own personal mental health stuff. I think of this as one big picture put into one exhibition. There’s a symbol of growth with the trees.”

The show features 10 graphite and watercolour paintings, three of which are part of a series, with most depicting single trees that represent different stages of grief.

Weightman explored art during her teenage years but put it aside during her nursing studies before returning to it in mid-2020 with the launch of craft business her Nicclay Creations.

“I was working in ICU emergency at the time when I picked it back up,” she said. “I had seven weeks off work for mental health reasons which was when I started picking it back up.

“I always tried to make time for art before but it’s quite busy being a nurse.”

Weightman currently combines her art skills with her carer experience in coordinating an art program at West End Support Services in Delacombe.

She said it’s exciting to see how people react to her debut show.

“It was a bit daunting for me when I first got offered this but it’s been really good and I’ve had some good feedback,” she said.

“It’s a bit surreal seeing people look at it. I think it’s really about personal growth and healing. That’s my interpretation, everyone’s is very different though.”

Dying to Heal is on display until Tuesday, 23 May.