School of Creative
Industries
Khushi Barjatya
During her undergraduate studies in contemporary art practice, Khushi actively engaged in art-based research for grassroots organisations to support various communities in India. The experiences exposed her to the therapeutic potential of art, leading her to join LASALLE College of the Arts' MA Art Therapy programme.
Through the programme, Khushi worked with adolescents and adults in community-based settings – engaging in individual and group art therapy sessions, supporting expression as well as exploration. She is particularly drawn to the potential of creative materials to address individuals with diverse needs – integrating body and mind processes.
Work
सदा (Always)
Engraving on stainless steel
14 x 60 x 30 cm
2024
This work is a mixed media installation that explores the dynamics of the artist’s personal relationships.
The title is derived from Indian blessings that usually start with ""सदा"" (always) and end with ""रहो"" (be), which encapsulate the essence of perpetual care. Each blessing inscribed on the stainless steel tumblers represents expectations that are passed on, embodying both affection and potential maladaptation. Handprints symbolise the profound connection between caregiver and child, evolving with each lifted finger.
The final tumbler, positioned separately, challenges the audience to consider the reciprocity and meaning of care in familial relationships – are the tumblers full or are they at their limit?
Thesis abstract
Honouring body and mind: The role of art therapy in supporting an adolescent with health conditions in a community setting
The aim of this qualitative practitioner-based research was to explore the potential impact of individual art therapy on an adolescent diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) within a community mental health setting in Singapore.Through a single case study, the effect of art therapy interventions on an adolescent with health conditions in a community setting were examined in depth. The study used the Czamanski-Cohen & Weihs' Bodymind Model of Art Therapy (2016) to understand the themes emerging from the individual art therapy sessions that incorporated body and mind processes.
Findings evidenced the activation of cognitive and emotional processes, reorganisation of thoughts and feelings, personal growth and the reintegration of different facets of the self. This research serves to promote the utilisation of art therapy as a valuable tool to support a range of psychosocial complexities that arise from health-related conditions and underscores the importance of integrating body and mind processes in therapeutic interventions in non-clinical settings.