POINTING NORTH | 2024

Caroline Heming

Oil on Canvas, 76x61cm

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In response to the theme of maps and mapping, I reflect on my journey shaped by both heritage and personal evolution. Map making is in my blood and soul, instilled in me by my uncle, a historical cartographer who mentored me from a young age. His influence led me into a corporate career as a land cartographer, mapping corporate real estate through data, research, and precision.

 

For 30 years, my work followed linear paths to meet client demands. However, my view of mapping has evolved. Maps are no longer just tools for navigation or representations of physical spaces. Tome, they now symbolize a journey toward self-expression, a quest to break free from the constraints of today’s data-driven paths.

 

I have represented this evolution with a hand bound by thin threads and secured by bolts, symbolizing the pressures, expectations, and external forces that have held me in place. These threads represent tradition, precision, and corporate duty, binding me to structured paths. But as a map is more than its lines, this hand seeks to break free from old conventions.

 

In this work, I reinterpret mapping as a metaphor for personal exploration. I am searching for my true North, a place of free expression where the ties of my past no longer bind me. My map now leads into uncharted territories, where boundaries are meant to be broken, and the journey itself becomes a canvas for creativity.

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Caroline Heming

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Why stick to one style? I thrive on blending realism, expressionism, and abstraction. While I might settle on a single path someday, I’m dedicated to a boundless creative journey for now.

My artistic roots in silkscreen, taught by my dad, inspire me to layer rich paints on distressed canvases, creating delicate transparencies and bold contrasts. This approach reflects my commitment to experimentation and creative freedom.

For 30+ years, I worked as a graphic designer and creative director. The COVID lockdown reignited my passion for painting, and from 2020 to 2024, I produced the large-format pieces you that can be seen on my website.