Exhibition of grief response artwork in art therapy

Within an individualistic culture, individuals may find difficulty in expressing their grief. Artmaking can provide grieving individuals with the space to express and process intense emotions that arise as part of experiencing grief. Art therapists may incorporate various theoretical frameworks and art therapy concepts to enhance treatment of grieving individuals. To further therapeutic benefit, art therapists or artists may choose to exhibit grief-based artwork. Art exhibition may foster connections and reduce stigma around grief. However, risks posed by exhibiting artwork include increased vulnerability and opportunity for exploitation. This paper utilizes heuristic inquiry as a means of exploring my personal experiences with creating and exhibiting grief-based artwork. Artwork is presented and various methods for exhibition are discussed. The risks and benefits of my experience with exhibition of my own grief-based artwork are analyzed.