About Cerisia Ta’Torin

I’m a mixed media artist rooted in Cornwall, where sea winds and wild colour tug at my imagination. Acrylic paint and oil pastels are my favourite mischief-makers; together they let me build layered worlds full of marks, scratched secrets, collage fragments, and splashes of chromatic daring. Wood and paper are my preferred terrains, where texture behaves like weather and brushstrokes leave echoes. Canvas joins the party too, but wood and paper feel closest to my heartbeat.

Curiosity is the compass of my practice. I paint in collections because ideas rarely travel alone; flowers bloom into stories, boats carry memory, windows frame private worlds, and still life becomes a portrait of belonging. My studio is my sanctuary, where sensory peace allows me to explore inner landscapes without the clamour of the outside. I’m autistic and synaesthetic, and colour is how I translate emotion into something visible. My palette leans toward blues, pinks, yellows, reds and oranges, bold enough to hum their own melodies.

Tactility is essential: oil pastel under fingertips, stencil patterns ghosting through layers, pencil crayon mapping the page, and the occasional joyful splatter. I’ve always worked with my hands, whether sewing dresses for my daughter when she was small, crocheting, or recently experimenting with paper flowers. Creativity has been my companion since childhood, even when traditional school paths didn’t fit. I left without GCSEs except art, but continued to study drawing and textiles until I eventually unlearned rigidity and reclaimed play. My inner child is still in the studio, often in charge of the crayons.

I’m influenced by artists and storytellers who embrace emotion and imperfection: Van Gogh, whose neurodivergent resonance feels familiar; Joan Eardley’s textured courage; Picasso’s restless sketching; contemporary illustrators like Beatrice Alemagna and Quentin Blake; and narrative worlds by Julia Donaldson, Davide Cali, Maria Dek, Neil Gaiman and Shaun Tan. They remind me that art can be brave and tender all at once.

My work invites viewers to feel joy without apology. I paint to encourage authenticity, to remind people that wonder is not childish, and that play is not frivolous. When someone places one of my pieces in their home, I hope it feels like welcoming a vibrant storyteller who whispers belonging, boldness, and comfort.

For Collectors and Curators

My paintings often speak to each other across collections. When collected together, they create a richer narrative, like chapters of the same book. Textures, marks, and colours echo from one piece to another, so owning more than one allows you to witness recurring motifs, evolving palettes, and hidden details that unfold over time. I encourage collectors to look closely: layers reveal themselves slowly, and my work rewards long-term companionship.

Selected Exhibitions:

• Coast Colour Canvas Gallery, Roskilly’s, St Keverne — 2025

• RAW, Solo Exhibition, The Fish Factory, Penryn — 2022

  View full exhibition history on my Exhibitions page

Articles & Interviews:

• Art therapy: My neurodivergent lifeline — Yomu magazine, 2025

• Interview — The Therapy Suite, UK Health Radio, 2024