Whitstable in Charcoal, a solo exhibition of drawings by Liz Atkin

Liz Atkin’s Whitstable in Charcoal drawings channel her obsession with capturing the sea. Her instinctive gravitation towards texture is a pull that is deeply interconnected with the physical nature of her life-long experience of Compulsive Skin Picking, also known as Dermatillomania, one of a group of Body-focused Repetitive Behaviours. Liz describes its ‘constant energy – there is a real rhythm to it in my body’. Drawing with charcoal is her way to refocus this energy through the speed and control of her hands and fingertips across the page. For Liz, charcoal possesses a texturally therapeutic quality, a soothing antidote to skin picking’s deeply tactile character. Since moving to Whitstable in 2021, she has been captivated by this coastline, from sea swimming and walking along the shore, to avidly drawing the tidal textures.

Venue: The Gallery Café at St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL (Plan your visit)

Access: step-free entry to The Gallery Café is at the rear, through the garden. It is accessible through the gate located two doors to the left of the café’s main entrance. If you need access to an accessible toilet, please let us know so we can arrange that.

Date: 13th January - 24th February

Time: 8.30am-5.00pm