Batham Ruth
HELD HEARD SAFE SEEN: Panic Touch
Acrylic on Paper
2022
Panic Touch is gathering my thoughts about what the earth-shattering experience of being pregnant, giving birth and living with severe Postnatal Depression during a pandemic meant. Separation after birth. The absolute smallness of her. Foggy newborn days swept up in paint and paper and cutouts.
Ruth Batham was born in the Black Country and moved to London to study at Wimbledon School of Art. In 2019, she was an offsite painter at Turps Art School. Ruth’s work combines a drawing and painting process with a background in Human Science. The inspiration and concepts behind her work are, in essence – people. As a socially minded artist, her concerns centre around human connectedness, relationships and interactions. She primarily works with acrylics. Ruth is currently based at Aspire Studios in Islington, London. She has exhibited across London including the Zabludowicz Collection and Thames-Side Gallery. In 2019, she had a solo show in Tottenham entitled ‘Approach’ which focused on fragmenting the human figure. Her work is in private collections across England. She belongs to Spilt Milk CIC and is part of their exhibition committee. Recent shows include the collaborative project ‘I Felt That’ led by curator Josephine May Bailey, addressing the gender pain with an exhibition at the Tub Gallery Hackney as well as a publication through ACHE magazine.
