British Council supported the visit of Liz Atkin at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2017 as part of our Inclusivity Arts programme.
For over 20 years, Liz Atkin's life was dominated by Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP). CSP is a complex physical and mental disorder that provides comfort, pleasure or emotional release from endlessly picking at often healthy skin, leading to bleeding, infection, scarring and mental distress, and affects as many as one out of 20 people.
Despite tragedy and childhood circumstances, Liz confronted her condition head-on with creativity, creating intimate artworks, photographs and performances, and turned despair into healing. She is now an advocate for the disorder and an internationally acclaimed artist.
Many had the opportunity to hear her remarkable story at the Fringe!
Details of events held:
Public Talks
6 January 2017, 7pm
Lecture Theatre, Block F Level 2 #F201
LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally Street Singapore 187940
7 January 2017, 1.30pm
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
7 January 2017, 5pm
library@esplanade
#CompulsiveCharcoal
4 - 15 January 2017
Various public transportation
During the Festival period from 4 – 15 January 2017, Liz travelled around Singapore to continue her #CompulsiveCharcoal series.
Liz Atkin has a disorder called Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP). Drawing serves a very real purpose of keeping her hands and fingers busy wherever she is. She used to take a sketch book on her long commutes across London but ran out of blank pages one day. Liz started drawing on a free newspaper and she now no longer bothers with a sketchbook!
A form of live art and advocacy for CSP, her one-minute charcoal drawings transform everyday advertisements and photographs in free newspapers. Passengers are often intrigued to see her drawing with such speed in the middle of a packed train, and delighted when she hands them a free finished drawing, together with a postcard which explains her health condition.
More information on Liz Atkin at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival