Patrick Colhoun

Originally trained as a ceramicist, Patrick Colhoun’s practice is now multi-disciplinary with sculptures and installations combining ceramic, hosiery, neon, latex, piercings as well as video and 2 dimensional works.
Throughout his career the artist has used the making process to help with difficult times. The first public exhibition of his work coincided with redundancy after a twenty year career. This was followed one year later by the death of his father. To date the artist’s work has been largely about memory. Much of his early work centered around dark subjects such as death, decay, containment and aggression with a desire to make un-savoury subjects into attractive physical forms.
The dark nature of the work became almost an outlet for a grieving process and a conduit for it to work through. More recent work is still heavily influenced by memory, however the artist looks back mostly fondly. The introduction of striking colour to familiar forms changes the mood and the dynamic of the work, making it more playful.
Returning to abstract form allowed the artist to explore coping mechanisms through primary colour and order and once again emphasize the literal importance of the making process in terms of coping with everyday life.