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Closed 09/06/2022
Iʼve raised £1,020 to Help fund the Addicts And Those Who Love Them exhibition and project
- Funded on Thursday, 9th June 2022
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Story
There is addiction in my family, and I do not know what to do about it. My response is to create this project called "Addicts And Those Who Love Them, behind every addict is someone traumatised by loving them" with the intention to exhibit the paintings and words, and raise awareness, understanding and interest in the difficult subject of addiction. I aim to keep exhibiting, adding to the works as I go along, and tell as many stories as I can.
I am a portrait painter by profession. I have painted portraits of those in addiction, those out of addiction, family and friends who are caught up in the crazy, lonely, frightening world of living with an addict, and those working with addicts to try and help. Onto each portrait I have painted the words of the sitter. The operative word in the title is Love. How can we love those who are so destructive, manipulative, chaotic? But we do. Our love is tough, and starts with ourselves, but it is real.
My dear friends and colleagues Marie Paul and Michael McAlister are also showing their drawings and photographs around their own experiences of addiction and recovery.
"These and more stories must be told - to move them all into the light - so many people are affected by addiction - and art and stories tell this powerfully..." from the May 2021 exhibition Addicts & Those Who Love Them
This exhibition is about telling stories. I want to know who is behind the addict, and to see their humanity. This is counter intuitive to most of us, but inside every addict is a child, a parent, a sibling, a person, a soul.
I am raising money to host exhibitions of this work, to create the paintings, to travel to interview the people taking part in the shows, to buy my materials and to pay for the galleries, admin, travel and living expenses. Your donations will pay for me to do this work. Your donations will help to enable those who are forgotten, dismissed and judged, to be seen and heard, and in turn, their portraits and words touch those who visit the exhibitions, and create compassion, awareness and hope. Your donations fund the stories and portraits of the friends and family members who are ashamed, alone and vulnerable and dealing with an addicted loved one. I could not do this without you, and your kind donations. Thank you so much.
"Thank you for humanising addicts and giving them a voice. A really empathetic, moving exhibition."
"Deeply moving, beautiful and captivating. Feeling quite raw and humbled and overwhelming gratitude. Thank you Antonia." Both quotes from the 2021 exhibition of Addicts And Those Who Love Them.
The next exhibition of Addicts And Those Who Love Them is from 12 - 26 May 2022, as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival, at the Fishing Quarter Gallery Brighton BN1 1NB.
For just five pounds a month you can help me continue with my work on addiction and also on end of life on Patreon. I share behind the scenes videos, and information for all my subscribers, plus other benefits, and look forward to having you join me. Patreon page here
Updates
4
- 3 years ago
Antonia Rolls
3 years agoThis is a hard triptych to look at. Drugs & alcohol made James dangerous, unpredictable & alone. He doesn't remember the fight I've painted here, & that it happened often. The middle painting is the day he decided to change, the defeat in his eyes is sad. The third is James today. He is young & this is a tough journey. "I'm just a bull in a china shop Antonia" he said, it both made me laugh & is probably true. I need your donations still. The costs of creating & hosting this exhibition are ongoing, every little bit is so gratefully received.
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- 3 years ago
Antonia Rolls
3 years agoThank you for supporting this work, telling stories of drugs, alcohol & addiction through art & words. Here is a new painting with words to follow. Meet Fiona Measham,Professor of Criminology and Social Policy at Liverpool University. Fiona is the founder of The Loop, a charity that visits festivals & offers drug safety testing, harm reduction advice & welfare support. A very inspiring person. I need to ask for your continued support, there are many costs that continue to mount, & I would love you to share this request too - many thanks.
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- 3 years ago
Antonia Rolls
3 years agoThe "Pieta, Every Addict" painting is finished. Using the Christian image of Mary holding the body of her son Jesus after he is removed from the cross on which he was executed, this painting symbolises the tragedy & love surrounding us on this journey of addiction. Here I have painted Every Addict, & behind him, a figure of compassion & love. This could be Every Mother, or Every One. The mixing of divine & human here shows that sometimes, it is beyond our understanding. Thank you for your wonderful support and help. Every donation helps.
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Antonia Rolls started crowdfunding
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Supporters
32
Addict in Recovery
May 24, 2022
£10.00
John Railton
May 24, 2022
Keep up the great work, sorry I couldn't get there.
Kirsten Keogh
May 8, 2022
You are amazing, the work you do is amazing. You bring awareness to people of a topic that some find uncomfortable. Good luck on your exhibition darling Antonia.
£20.00
Anonymous
May 2, 2022
Wonderfully strong, compassionate and insightful pieces of art. Thank you for your commitment and good luck.
Marie Rafferty
Apr 13, 2022
An excellent project Toni. Well done 👏
£30.00
Jackie Keogh
Apr 5, 2022
With Love. ❤️ xx
£30.00
Patrick Rolls
Apr 3, 2022
£20.00
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