Artist and former City Lit student Susannah Goulding will host her first solo exhibition in celebration of International Women’s Day this year. ‘This Delightful Woman’ features art produced over the past five years following the artist’s diagnosis with incurable metastatic cancer.
The exhibition is multi-disciplinary, featuring sculpture, painting, photography, film, sound, collage and poetry. It kicks off in the City Lit Gallery with a private viewing on Thursday 29th February and runs until Sunday 17th March.
On International Women’s Day, Susannah will be hosting an artist talk to discuss her work. There will also be a spoken word performance from Goulding’s accompanying book, 'This Delightful Woman', written by the poet and psychoanalyst Julia Evans in collaboration with the artist.
‘This Delightful Woman’ by Susannah Goulding
‘This Delightful Woman’ is centred around how patients receiving treatment for cancer are addressed, treated, and spoken about. The exhibition looks to reframe the dialogue around cancer patients and empowerment in medical contexts. It puts emphasis on a patient’s autonomy: someone living with cancer can be an active participant in care and treatment rather than a ‘passive’ victim.
The exhibition speaks to Susannah’s own experience living with cancer. The title itself, ‘This Delightful Woman’ references how an oncologist first notified her of her diagnosis with breast cancer. It reflects wider themes in her work. With honesty and authenticity, she aims to re-address the language of cancer by opening new, personal, and questioning visual and textual dialogue that expresses authentic lived experience.
In her words, “I explore both the experience of a liminal space, between the disease, its pathology and its treatment.”
It also resonates with the theme of International Women’s Day this year – ‘Inspire inclusion’. Susannah’s art champions the need for a patients’ voice, feelings, perceptions and participation to be included within medical care.
Who is Susannah Goulding?
Susannah Goulding spent much of her life working in the film industry. She was a successful commercials director as well as a guest lecturer in various top film schools and universities. Her work took her all over the world, keeping her physically and creatively active.
This all changed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This then developed into incurable metastatic cancer. Unable to work in film any longer, her life changed direction. She lost her job, her mobility, and her sense of identity.
But she was determined to not let her diagnosis control her. In Susannah’s words, “I knew I had an artist inside of me wanting to say something, but it hadn’t yet found its shape or place.”
She enrolled in the Contemporary Practice and Developing Art Practice courses whilst undergoing treatment. This proved to a monumental step, excelling in the classes even amidst her illness.
Susannah talking her about her story for the 2023 City Lit Awards
“I knew I had an artist inside of me wanting to say something, but it hadn’t yet found its shape or place.”
Since then, her work has looked to challenge the stigma around cancer. She opens meaningful discussions about the human impact of such a pervasive disease. Her art is designed to inspire others and allow them to contemplate their own personal situations, as she has hers.
Inspire she certainly has. Former City Lit tutor and mentor Ian Tucknott described his time with Susannah by saying, “Her time at City Lit has touched the lives of those around her, inspiring them to embrace the healing potential of their own creative practice.”
Susannah’s artistic journey helped her come to terms with her cancer. “I’ve learned the benefits of creativity for well-being,” she told us. “There’s a saying that ‘Creativity cannot cure, but it can heal’ and that’s really what my learning has given me.”
City Lit are thrilled to be able to host Susannah’s first solo exhibition for International Women’s Day this year.
'This Delightful Woman' runs until the 17th March 2024.
International Women’s Day 2024 at City Lit
International Women’s Day is a worldwide event celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This year’s theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’. It’s a call to action for us to understand and value women's inclusion and accelerate women’s equality.
Throughout City Lit’s existence, we have played a key role in the education of women. Empowerment through learning, regardless of gender, has been at the centre of our activities.
‘This Delightful Woman’ runs from Thursday 29th February to Sunday 17th March.
A private viewing will take place from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday 29th February.
On Friday 8th March, the exhibition will feature artist talks from Susannah Goulding, City Lit art tutor, Heidi Wigmore, and a spoken word reading of the 'This Delightful Woman' accompanying book.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, not only on Friday 8 March but all through the coming months, we have a range of courses available which explore and celebrate the significant contributions made by women in life, society and culture.
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