Cracks

This has been a recurrent theme in our participants’ artwork and interviews. They talk of cracks across their heart, but also cracks across their whole beings and/or cracks in their lives and their sense of identity, caused by Brexit and/or the impossibility to see their families in Europe during the lockdown periods. For some, it is the heart that is irremediably split, for others their beings are barely held together by the effort to be strong for their kids and/or the hope that things will get better.

Erika, Danish

I felt very split as well, I started almost splitting into two halves I thought well what am I really don't belong here don't belong somewhere else, and then often I felt it was just couldn’t keep it in.

I don't belong here completely and I certainly don't belong in Denmark, either, so where do I belong / is that is that kind of split.

Trying to remain one person, but I am not, I'm in that I'm split many ways.

Hearts been so I held together by some string and a safety pin.

Corrine, French

It did feel like I was cracking from the inside. It really did feel like that, like I wasn’t whole or strong and it felt that the one, what I like about myself I couldn’t find anymore, and I was all broken. So even at night I would wake up and… So, the red as well is the blood, the pain, it’s everything that’s raw, the rage, the anger, it’s all of that. That’s what I was full of.

Sandra, Italian

My heart was breaking in two there was half of my heart, which is here with me, and the other half was there where my family home is.

Just all where my heart should sit whole okay actually ripped out and is half here and half there.

Home is, on the other side that's half of me.