Bernadette Kerrigan

My research is situated within contemporary painting and practice-based research. Through painting, drawing and writing, I explore how meaning is constructed, questioned, erased and remade through processes of looking, remembering and making. Central to this enquiry are ideas of uncertainty, belief and contradiction, and the ways in which individuals navigate competing truths, incomplete narratives and shifting understandings of the world.

Drawing on experiences of Catholicism, superstition, landscape, memory and everyday encounters, my work considers painting as a site where ambiguity can be sustained rather than resolved. I am interested in the relationship between belief and scepticism, the reliability of memory, and the productive possibilities of doubt. Through processes of repetition, revision, erasure and chance, the work investigates how images accumulate meaning over time whilst remaining open to multiple interpretations.

Alongside my studio practice, I am interested in painting pedagogy, studio culture and artist development. My research explores the role of dialogue, mentorship and collaborative learning within art education, and the ways in which studio environments can support experimentation, critical reflection and the development of individual artistic voices.

Current areas of interest include painting as encounter, memory and misremembering, landscape and psychological space, materiality and revision, belief and uncertainty, generative AI in relation to painting, and pedagogical approaches to contemporary art practice.

Research Interests

• Contemporary Painting
• Practice-Based Research
• Painting and Uncertainty
• Belief, Doubt and Contradiction
• Superstition and Visual Culture
• Memory and Misremembering
• Landscape and Psychological Space
• Materiality, Erasure and Revision
• Painting as Encounter
• Ambiguity and Meaning-Making
• Catholicism and Cultural Memory
• Generative AI and Painting
• Painting Pedagogy
• Studio Culture
• Mentoring and Artist Development
• Contemporary Art Education

Recent and forthcoming Exhibitions include:

2024, EJ Hauser, Bernadette Kerrigan, Chris Martin, Daniel Pettitt KARST, Plymouth. 2023, (forthcoming), Drawing Painting, Two person show, Bath School of Art

2021, Solo show - SCAN Projects, London, E2, 2021. Two person show – Palfrey Place, London, SW8, 2021. Recent Activity, Birmingham,

Two person show - Richard Hughes & Bernadette Kerrigan, ‘Colours that no-one knows the name of’

Dec 2018, Beep Painting Prize - 2018

2017, Paper Cuts, Kris Day -December 2017

“Pharmacy For Idiots” - Rob Tufnell @ Tanya Leighton Gallery, Cologne, Sept 2017.

My teaching is informed by my ongoing practice as a painter and researcher. Maintaining an active studio practice alongside regular exhibitions, collaborative projects and research activity enables me to bring current experiences, questions and debates from contemporary painting directly into the teaching environment.

I believe that students learn best through sustained engagement with making, critical reflection and dialogue. My role is not to tell students what their work should be, but to help them develop the confidence, critical awareness and visual language needed to articulate their own ideas and ambitions. I encourage curiosity, experimentation and risk-taking, whilst supporting students to situate their work within wider artistic, social and cultural contexts.

A significant part of my teaching centres on conversation. Through tutorials, critiques, group discussions and studio visits, I work with students to develop their ability to analyse, question and reflect upon their work and the work of others. Creating a positive and supportive studio culture is central to my approach, ensuring that students feel able to test ideas, challenge assumptions and learn collaboratively.

My professional practice and long-standing relationships with artists, curators and arts organisations also enable me to connect students with the wider contemporary art world. Through visiting speakers, exhibitions, projects and external opportunities, I aim to help students understand the diverse possibilities of sustaining a creative practice beyond university.

Ultimately, my teaching seeks to support students in becoming independent, critically engaged artists who are equipped to navigate uncertainty, embrace complexity and continue learning throughout their careers.