This collaborative project brings together nearly 30 artists and writers from seven countries to explore themes such as mental illness and creativity, societal constraints and artistic liberation, memory, agency, and human connection. It draws inspiration from my literary photobook I Also Fight Windmills, which delves into the life and work of the modernist trilingual writer Sophie Gaudier-Brzeska (1872–1925).
In autumn 2023, I sent out 25 unique envelopes to artists and writers, each containing test prints from my photobook, excerpts from Gaudier-Brzeska’s texts, and a short biography, along with an invitation to create something in response to its contents. I received a wonderfully diverse range of artworks and writings in return: collages, series of images, multimedia pieces, a manifesto, beautifully stitched photographs, an artist’s book, and more.
These responses – representing contributions from artists and writers seven countries – were exhibited at the Fairway Gallery in Oxford (April 2024), at Curiously in Berwick-upon-Tweed (July–August 2024), and at the Hundred Heroines Museum (May–June 2025).
By engaging with both photographic and textual prompts, the participating artists and writers produced a unique reflection on the life of Sophie Gaudier-Brzeska – a gifted yet socially marginalised female artist. The resulting exhibitions celebrate the power of artistic expression and the fundamental human need for connection. It presents a rich tapestry of photography, collage, embroidery, and poetry, through which the artists confront the stigma surrounding mental illness and explore themes of displacement, social exclusion, entrapment, and loneliness – all within a shared space of artistic and intellectual exchange.
This project is a testament to the capacity of art to foster empathetic encounters across difference, reaching across time and borders to illuminate what unites us.
Participating artists and writers:
Madalina Androne (England) https://madalinaandrone.com
Viktoria Binges (England) https://soulcamera.org
Karen Block ((England) https://karenjblock.com/
Sarah Capel (England) www.sarahcapelprinting.co.uk
Etain O’Carroll (England) https://www.etaino.co.uk/
Ruthie Collins (England) www.ruthiecollins.co.uk
Emma Davies (England) https://emmadaviesphotography.com
Jonathan Dayman (England) https://jonathandayman.com
Amanda Denny (England) www.amandadenny.com
Caitriona Dunnett ((England) www.caitrionadunnett.com
Francesco Falciani (England) https://www.instagram.com/ceccofalciani/
Gehrett Ellis (England)
Laurence Harding (England) www.laurenceharding.co.uk
Irmgard Hueppe (England) www.irmgardhueppe.com
Mich Maroney (Ireland) https://www.michmaroney.com
Lu Mazen (Germany) https://www.lumazen.de
Weronika Modrzejewska (Poland)
Paulina Poświata (Poland) https://www.facebook.com/paulina.poswiata
Ania Rolińska (Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/anzbau
Mills Rowe (England) https://www.curiouslymills.com/
Sue Saunders (England) https://sue-saunders.com/
Julie Sleaford (England) https://www.juliesleaford.com
Teresa Smith (England) https://www.art-research-teach.com/
Monika Sosnowski (USA) www.monikasosnowski.com
Mary Beth Willis (USA/England) https://www.marybethwillisphotography.com/
Elżbieta Wójcik-Leese (Denmark) https://www.facebook.com/elzbieta.wojcikleese
Artists took part in an online event, presenting the thinking behind the making of the work. A recording of We Also Fight Windmills - presentation of artists' works and a discussion is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBbMNURR9Q4
We were also invited to do an Instagram takeover on the prestigious Fast Forward – Women in Photography account in May 2024: https://www.instagram.com/womeninphoto/p/C6tAH-Ithe7/?img_index=1
Images from 'We Also Fight Windmills' works displayed at Hundred Heroines Museum, Nailsworth, UK, May 2025