Designing the Leap of Faith

Reachout’s Emerging Artist Willow, has recently showcased ‘A Leap of Faith’ her final piece as part of Emerge, University of the Highlands and Islands Perth Graduate Showcase 2026. ‘A Leap of Faith’ explores identity, heritage, and self acceptance through a series of symbolic felted creatures. Rooted in deeply personal experiences, the project reflects the challenge of feeling disconnected from personal heritage while still longing for belonging and understanding.

Each creature represents a different aspect Willow’s heritage, while also embodying qualities she hopes to embrace within herself: acceptance, kindness, and courage.

The armadillo references American heritage, the shongololo South African heritage, and the snail Celtic heritage. Together, they form a visual expression of what the artist describes as “a leap of faith” — an attempt to move towards comfort and connection with these identities.

The freedom experienced in role at Reachout supported the final body of work. Having the space to create without being overwhelmed by self-doubt allowed the project to evolve into something more playful, imaginative, and expressive.

Wet felting techniques were used to blend colours more effectively and efficiently than needle felting alone, resulting in softer and richer colour transitions.

Working on such a personal subject also transformed the relationship between the artist and their medium. What had previously been approached as a fun and playful artform gained a new emotional depth.

Looking ahead after graduation, Willow is eager to continue exploring across multiple disciplines and ideas. Future ambitions include experimenting with oil painting, researching lost English folklore, and translating these narratives into visual work. There is also a strong interest in creating more poseable felt creatures and incorporating them into stop motion animation projects. Above all, the future of the practice is driven by curiosity: continuing to learn, develop, and create work that balances personal reflection with a sense of play.