Dream State Self | Exhibition Stories
- catherinbennett
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 9
Exhibition Stories · Edition 02
The stories behind the artworks, the artists, and the exhibitions that bring them to life.
DREAM STATE SELF | From the London Exhibition
Some artworks begin with a clear idea. Others reveal themselves through the process of making.
Dream State Self was one of the works exhibited in London as part of Primordial Metamorphic Whispers. Looking back, what I remember most isn't hanging the exhibition, but watching visitors spend time with the painting. People stepped closer, moved back, pointed out different forms and often returned for another look. No two conversations were quite the same.
That experience reinforced something I have become increasingly interested in throughout my practice: an artwork doesn't have a single fixed meaning. It changes through observation. Every viewer brings their own memories, experiences and imagination, discovering something different within the same image.
Unlike my earlier work, which often began with a more recognisable subject, Dream State Self developed through experimentation. Layers of mirrored imagery, texture and intuitive mark-making gradually revealed faces, anatomy, landscapes and symbolic forms. Rather than controlling every outcome, I allowed the painting to evolve and then responded to what began to emerge.
That process has become central to my practice. I'm interested in creating works that invite people to slow down, look again and discover their own interpretations rather than searching for a single answer.
Seeing visitors engage with Dream State Self during the London exhibition reminded me that the artwork is never truly finished when it leaves the studio. Its story continues through every person who spends time with it.
Thank you for following Exhibition Stories. Each edition documents the journey of an artwork through exhibitions, the ideas behind its creation and its continuing evolution.
Artwork Record
Artist: Catherin Bennett
Created: 2025
Medium: Signed limited edition archival pigment print on Canson PhotoArt Pro Canvas 395gsm
Dimensions: 84.1 x 59.4 cm
Edition: Limited edition of 15
Presentation: Stretched canvas, ready to hang
First exhibited: The Other Art Fair, London, 2026
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