Identity, Heavy Metal & The Dark Arts - An Interview with Painter, Cate Hopkins
- Jordan Brinkworth
- Nov 15, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Behind Cate’s artworks are an abundance of themes. One of these, horror, may seem obvious. Yet her paintings are also filled with ideas of national identity and heritage; deep and complex notions that many find difficult to articulate. Indeed, the concept of identity itself is quite complicated to understand and express.
Of course, many people choose to describe their national identity and heritage through the use of objective facts such as economic statistics and geography. I, for example, am from Wales and, if you have never been to Wales, I can tell you that it is a country with a population of 3 million and lies to the West of the United Kingdom.
But how do I feel about being Welsh?
Well, that’s difficult to ascertain based on these facts alone.
Though, what if I also informed you that Wales is a nation that was viciously conquered by the evil King Edward I in 1081?
Suddenly my personal feelings about what it means to be Welsh become more apparent and raise several questions:
Do I believe that Wales is a country forged by the sword?
Is my nationalism built on resentfulness toward the English?
Might I even be looking for some form of independence from the United Kingdom?
Of course, this is not reflective of my true emotions (don’t worry English readers, you are safe, I promise not to stage a revolt any time soon) but it demonstrates how subjective the notion of identity can be. It also reveals how our expressions, as opposed to the use of objective statements alone, can better convey our sense of self. Contrary to what I said for instance, numerous written records from the time reveal to us that Edward I conquered Wales in 1281 not 1081. Yet it was my emotive statement that gave you an indication as to how I felt about being Welsh and how such an event had shaped my identity, regardless of whether the date of it was correct – or whether it even happened.
In essence, this magazine has endeavoured to demonstrate that our artworks, literary pieces, poems and even our own voices; from conversations and songs to dramatic plays and speeches; are important sources of information when it comes to exploring who we are as humans. As we have seen, although they may not be abounding with reliable facts, as some historians and economists would prefer, our expressions deepen our understanding of the human experience. They allow us to traverse through the creator’s personal journey and shed light on a region’s collective memory, while encouraging us to reflect upon our own lives in the process.
So, with that in mind, we begin this issue of Art Etc. just as we started it in 2022 – by unearthing the intriguing elements and exciting personal stories that underlie the works of an aspiring artist, who this time around happens to be the talented Cate Hopkins, or ‘Catriona’ as she is known.
