Liz Atkin Archive

Digital and physical papers relating to Liz Atkin's artistic practice and work, including records relating to mental health advocacy, press and publicity, and records relating to specific projects and commissioned work.

Contents of each section are as follows:

Section A: 'Compulsive Charcoal' Artworks
Includes charcoal drawings created between 2015 and 2019 and papers relating to her 'Compulsive Charcoal' artworks including photographs and a short video of creation.

Section B: UK and International Residencies
Includes correspondence, administrative papers, promotional materials, films and photographs related to work created by Liz Atkin during various UK and International Residencies.

Section C: Exhibitions
Includes correspondence, administrative papers, promotional materials, films and photographs related to performance work and exhibitions of work created by Liz Atkin.

Section D: Health related teaching and projects
Includes correspondence, administrative papers, promotional materials, and photographs related to Liz Atkin's teaching projects and workshops.

Section E: Conferences and Talks
Includes correspondence, administrative papers, promotional materials, and photographs related to talks and presentations given by Liz Atkin on her practice and experiences.

Section F: Media
Includes press cuttings, publications, films, photographs, and other assorted promotional material related to interviews and features of Liz Atkin in the media including newspapers, magazines, television, podcasts, blogs and social media.

Section G: Awards
Includes correspondence, administrative papers, and promotional materials related to awards won by Liz Atkin.

Section H: Reference and Support Letters
Includes correspondence requested by Liz Atkin in support of her work for use in applying for projects, funding and for general promotional use.

Section J: MA Dissertation
Copy of Liz Atkin's Master's dissertation titled 'Skin: Exploring transformation through Body Focussed Repetitive Behaviour'.

A selection of artworks created by Liz Atkin acquired by Wellcome Collection can be found via the catalogue here.

2000s-2019

5 archive boxes and 65 digital items

Both physical and digital files were arranged by Liz Atkin, with descriptions by Liz Atkin preserved at the most appropriate level. Sections were created based on Atkin's original folder structure for digital material, incorporating physical files where appropriate.

Acquired in 2019.
The artworks and archive were collaboratively selected by Liz Atkin and two members of the Collections Development Team.

Liz Atkin is an artist and educator. She reimagines her Compulsive Skin Picking and anxiety into drawings, photographs and performances. Liz is a mental health advocate and raises awareness for the disorder around the world. She has exhibited and taught in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Singapore and Japan.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she gave away more than 18,000 free #CompulsiveCharcoal newspaper drawings to commuters on public transport in London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Cologne and more.

Liz teaches art in schools, hospitals, hospices, prisons, arts venues and universities. She is an ambassador for The Big Draw, the world's largest drawing festival, focusing on the role of creativity for health and wellbeing.

Liz received the Unstoppable Spirit Award for Outspoken Advocacy at the TLC Global Conference for Skin Picking and Hair Pulling Disorders in San Francisco in 2018, and was a finalist in the Janey Antoniou Award with Rethink Mental Illness in 2018. Her work has featured on TEDx, BBC News, Woman's Hour, Vice, Women's Health USA, Huffington Post, Channel News Asia, Metro, AlJazeera and more.

Information provided by Liz Atkin and accurate as of Jan 2022.

Copyright in archival material transferred to Wellcome. Artwork: All rights reserved, Liz Atkin.

Some duplicated files removed from born-digital files prior to ingest.

Duplicate items removed from physical collection during cataloguing.

Transferred from Liz Atkin's studio, South London. Digital materials transferred via hard drive.