Cerisia TaTorin - A memoir of becoming Cornish

The imagery that Cerisia has created for this exhibition are memories throughout her time in Cornwall.  She moved to Cornwall when she was 16 and now at 41, has gathered a fair few memories. These range from my early years in Newlyn, Mousehole, Penzance and studying at Penwith college to settling more into her roots on the Lizard peninsula.

Some of her memories are happy and some are more melancholic, but all have a place in her heart and she wouldn’t be where she is today without all of those experiences. 

Cerisia has only ever really known village life and when she looks back, and although living in small villages isn’t for everyone,  she loves it. Even though Cerisia keeps quietly to herself, she still feels a part of her village community and spends most of her time in the surrounding wildness of the willowing landscape, where she feels most at home.

Cerisia works from her studio in Tregidden on the lizard peninsula. She takes a lot of her inspiration from the countryside around her and the imaginary world. Layers of paint, mark-making and primitive play create a whimsical voice within her work. She also produces illustrated poetry books that provoke and inspire others to connect with a deeper sense of their own self.

In 2020 when lockdown began she had some time to really think about my creative business, where she wanted it to go and what the future may look like. Over the last 6 months, Cerisia has been working with expert poet, author and tutor Alison Howlett on her new illustrated poetry book. She has received funding through Cultivator for a mentor who has helped her edit her recent work. In July 2021 she published her first book, My Heart Lives Here, and her second book in the preparatory stages.