The Weight of Being: Vulnerability, Resilience, and Mental Health in Art

The painting Red Flag comes from a memory I have of seeing a Hindu temple desecrated with racist graffiti. I witnessed this as a 14 year old child in the early 1980’s at a time when race-riots where taking place across the UK. I recall enjoying the sublime, misty, wet and mountainous landscape, and how this peaceful and idyllic view was disrupted by an old red-brick dilapidated building covered in racist graffiti. The title Red Flag comes from the flags often seen on top of Hindu temples as red is seen as a sacred colour in Hinduism.

Curated by Angela Thomas, this new exhibition explores artistic expression and mental health. Through depictions of deeply personal and collective experiences, it examines the powerful ways in which artists capture vulnerability, resilience, and their search for solace.

Including the work of a diverse range of twentieth century and contemporary artists and their varying perspectives, The Weight of Being showcases how artists have captured the psychological and emotional impact of societal pressures, resilience in the face of adversity, and existential uncertainty.

Alongside dozens of artworks drawn from galleries and collections across the UK, the portraits, landscapes, and figurative studies of the lesser-known artist John Wilson McCracken (1936–1982) are woven throughout. Denied the opportunity to return to the Slade School of Art following a period of hospitalisation for mental health reasons, McCracken spent much of his career in Hartlepool, producing work that reflects a profound sensitivity to the emotional and social pressures of his time. Shaped by personal and collective struggles, his art offers a deeply human perspective on the exhibition’s themes, revealing how external forces imprint themselves on the mind, body, and creative spirit.

Through the wide range of artists, mediums, and represented demographics, The Weight of Being is intended to spark meaningful conversations about resilience, identity, and emotional well-being, offering a profound reflection on the toll of existence and the strength found in shared experiences, ultimately fostering hope and deepening understanding.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a wide-ranging programme of cultural events for adults and children including talks, conversations, workshops, music and Wednesday Late openings until 9pm, as well as our acclaimed programme for state sector primary schools. Please see our What’s On page for more information.

The Weight of Being is a Two Temple Place exhibition, conceived and curated by Angela Thomas, as part of our cultural programme. Angela Thomas has been curator at Hartlepool Art Gallery for four years, where she leads a varied exhibition programme featuring contemporary art, photography, and the historic collection of Hartlepool Borough Council.

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