Legacies Exhibition- Dementia, creativity and memory
Legacies: A Journey Through Memory, Art, and Dementia
Exhibition at Spudworks, Sway, New Forest Hampshire September 4-17th 2026
There is a strange, quiet grief in watching someone you love drift into the landscape of dementia. You find yourself holding two realities at once; the person they were and the person they are becoming right in front of you.
When my mum received her dementia diagnosis in 2022, it confirmed what I’d feared for quite some time. The positive, creative individual who was a steadfast presence in my life had become reclusive, confused and withdrawn from family. She would often talk at length about distant memories from our shared past that I had no recollection of. Mum would get lost in familiar places, mix up household objects like the remote control and phone and felt compelled to prepare for a trip to weston-super-mare (her childhood home she left in 1960’s.) Sadly some of this behaviour was all too familiar having been with my Dad on his dementia journey for the previous five years.
I’m an artist, printmaker & teacher and have found my way of processing the grief that I’ve felt at watching my mum (and Dad) slip away slowly over the last decade, is through creative exploration. Finding time for my own art practice as a way to process my feelings and carve out time to retain my creative identity became a lifeline.
The ‘Legacies’ exhibition at Spudworks gallery has been my opportunity to experiment and explore ideas of what it means to come to terms with loss in slow motion, seek community with others’ affected by dementia and celebrate my mum’s creative archive which we uncovered fully last year upon having to sell her home to pay for care. I wanted to acknowledge her influence on my career choice and love of art which was set in motion by her infectious enthusiasm and permission to create no matter what.
On display are drawings, botanical illustrations, calligraphy, turned wooden bobbins among other by my mum (Jill Watkins) alongside new screenprints, sculpture, reactive surfaces and interactive video by Chris Lee. This is an exhibition for all ages including children who can enjoy touching and exploring many of the works. Coinciding with Alzheimers Awareness Month in September and encourages viewers to learn more about the ways in which dementia alters perception and memory.
Artist Kate Watkins solo dementia printmaking exhibition at Spud art gallery
I’m hosting a new exhibition titled Legacies, opening at the spudWORKS gallery in the New Forest on Friday 4th September and running until 17th September.
There will be a Private view on Friday 4th September from 5.30-7.30pm, please join me to explore the show, all are welcome.
I’ll also be running a cyanotype workshop and exhibition tour on Saturday 12th September from 11-1pm. Please sign up with eventbrite here
to explore this exact intersection—where artistic output meets memory, and where a daughter’s creative response meets a mother’s enduring spirit.
What to Expect at the Exhibition
Legacies is conversation across generations, diagnoses, and mediums.
A Celebration of Craft: A display honouring my mum’s rich artistic output and crafts over the years
My Creative Response: A series of new works including reactive prints and animation for all ages created to process this challenging period
Reflections on Change: Visual explorations of the shifts in behaviour, mood, and perception brought on by dementia
Visit the Exhibition
Exhibition:Legacies
Location: spudWORKS Gallery, Station Road, Sway, Lymington, SO41 6BA
Whether you come to admire my mum’s incredible crafts, reflect on your own family’s story, or simply sit with the art, I hope Legacies offers you a sense of connection and comfort.
I’m working on a longer blog post which goes more into the background of the journey I’ve been on with both my parents but is a bit of a heavier read.