Karen Brett

Research interests and expertise

Brett’s main objective as an artist is to continually explore and question the physical sense of space in relation to a psychological sense of self. Aesthetics of the unfamiliar, body and mind disturbances, presence and performance within the domestic space are areas that underpin her practice.

Brett’s aim is to encourage the viewer to ‘see & feel’ rather than just ‘look’. Her work is not about resolving something, it is about showing something, through investigation, gaining knowledge and patiently waiting for things to emerge.

Brett states “I have always felt the need to build a relationship with each participant, through research, through creating a safe place for them to find their voice. A voice that expresses who they really are, to speak openly & honestly about their experiences. I start a dialogue, a conversation, I am not looking for answers, just feelings. It’s an understanding between artist and participant, and always a collaboration.”

Recent Collaborations:

Karen Brett recently led Unsettled (2025), a Falmouth University-funded participatory arts project created by and for women who have fled domestic abuse and are rebuilding their lives with extraordinary resilience and courage. Developed in partnership with West Cornwall Women’s Aid, the project brought together photography, creative writing and storytelling through zine making. The project culminated in a public exhibition showcasing participants’ own creative work. Following its successful launch at The Exchange Gallery, Penzance, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, a touring exhibition and programme of events and panel discussions are planned to further raise awareness of domestic abuse, housing insecurity and recovery.

The Attune Research Project (2022-2026) involves academic researchers from Oxford University and Falmouth University delivering a 4-year programme which combines both artistic and scientific methods to explore the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in children and young people.

Brett was commissioned at the initial stages of the project (2022-2023) to create a series of photography workshops to enable young people from Cornwall to explore and express their concerns around their mental health.

Brett’s aims for the Attune project was to give young people the time and space to think about their mental health and express themselves through images and words and document it within a notebook. Brett states, “It is not just about making work but about being together, understanding one another and trusting each other.”

Brett intuitively re-created each of the participants notebooks on InDesign to produce a series of photo zines for the young people themselves to self-reflect but also to be used to reach out to others. The final photo zines will generate supportive words of wisdom.

Research topics:

• Death
• Grieve & Loss
• Liminal space
• Mental Health
• Domestic Abuse
• Psychology
• Neuroscience

Areas of teaching

• Photography
• Research Skills
• Participatory Arts
• Socially Engaged Art Practice
• Professional Practice
• Critical Thinking
• Photographic Project Supervision
• Domestic Spaces & Photography
• Conscious Creative Practice