In The Cocoon
Curator's Statement
May 2026
Emerging from a period of abrupt interruption, In the Cocoon takes shape following a serious injury in 2025 that left Heather Sutherland Wade unable to walk for several months. Her recovery unfolded alongside Hurricane Melissa, situating her personal healing within a wider moment of disruption.
What happens when the world stops? What continues to grow and take shape in the midst of loss and devastation - and in the quiet that follows?
Nestled on her hilltop in Stony Hill, surrounded by her garden, mountains and sweeping views of Kingston and St. Andrew, Sutherland Wade creates from a place of calm and deep connection to her environment. While fortified, her cocoon is not insular; she actively invites us into it: “One of the important things I’ve realised when painting is that I'm not painting with a motive of expressing something that just meets my needs. I want you to see what I see - the beauty that surrounds me.” Through her distinctive use of colour and expansive, simplified forms - at times resembling patchwork - we are immersed in the sense of peace that characterises her practice.
Sutherland Wade’s cocoon extends to the exhibition space itself, most notably through the creation of a greenhouse-like room composed entirely of floral works. Floating canvases installed on the deck further echo this sense of a self-contained environment.
At the heart of the cocoon is Sutherland Wade’s longstanding archival practice. Since the early 1970s, she has cultivated an extensive record of her work, documenting artworks and preserving photographs, newspaper clippings and exhibition materials. Over time, this archive has evolved into an active system through which earlier works continue to inform the artist’s way of seeing. Within the exhibition, past works are revisited, reworked or re-encountered; Bridge to Nowhere (2008), for instance, takes on new life eighteen years later as part of a diptych alongside Beside the Bridge (2026).
In engaging these works, Sutherland Wade is able to deepen her understanding of how her vision and style have evolved. “It’s fascinating for me now to see my old work and enjoy it,” she reflects. “I'm not looking back and saying, ‘I could've done a better job of this.’ I’m fascinated by it, and I really admire my old work.”
Sutherland Wade’s practice remains one marked by humility, discipline and openness. Her commitment to growth - while remaining in dialogue with her past - demonstrates a practice grounded in appreciation and curiosity.
In the Cocoon marks Sutherland Wade’s third consecutive exhibition at her home studio. More than a reflection, it is a testament to the artist’s endurance and adaptation. With 79 works on display, the exhibition affirms a sustained motivation to continue seeing, making and sharing.