Collection: Tom Griffiths

Tom has always had a great passion for art, studying Fine Art at the University of Southampton. However, things have not always been straight-forward and Tom faced some significant set-backs which he is still working to overcome,

“It might take time to create my world all over again, and possibly the whole of my life, but right now I want to develop my ability in painting, and getting the most out of it as possible.”

Tom has a receptive language disorder. This means that he can struggle to understand words and connect language with ideas. He will not always “get” the meaning of what others are saying, something that can lead to misunderstandings and confusion – for both Tom and others around him. Despite these challenges Tom is really attuned to the feelings of others and uses his art to try to explore complex feelings and emotional responses to situations. He paints from photographs, building up layers of paint to mirror the overlaying and intertwining of emotions as they play out on his subjects’ faces.

Tom describes how art has helped him to process and make sense of his own feelings; to calm his whirling mind and see the progress he is making, one painting at a time. As an artist, he feels he finally fits into the world around him, that he feels he is meaningful. Whilst Tom would like to paint every day, he has other demands on his time, as he is also a carer for his grandmother. They have a close bond. She is in the room with Tom when he paints, a reassuring presence for Tom, company for her. Family is very important to Tom, his mother is his biggest fan and greatest ally.