Showcase

Marks of intrusion: my experience of OCD

Abigail Weston

Profile picture of Abigail Weston

Abigail is a London-based textile artist, specialising in knitted textiles. Her work is informed by her lived experiences, with a particular focus on mental illness. Abigail connects with and responds to her emotions through her work, leading to authentic and deeply personal outcomes. She hopes to raise awareness and encourage engagement with often misunderstood or taboo subjects.

Abigail enjoys exploring different fibres and incorporating different materials into her textile works. Together with the use of unexpected techniques, such as ripping and unravelling, she finds she is able to express herself through a knitted surface. Abigail's work is sometimes graphic and sometimes textural in nature. It can be delicate or bold. It is tied together by a strong balancing of colour.

Abigail is a London-based textile artist, specialising in knitted textiles. Her work is informed ...

Abigail is an artist with lived experience of obsessive compulsive disorder. Through this project, she sought to reflect on and express some of the emotions she associates with this condition. An important part of her process focused on mark-making as a form of expression.

Abigail has created a mixture of wall-based and performance-focused artworks that are deeply personal and feel authentic to her experience. She hopes these artworks give some understanding of what it is like to live with obsessive compulsive disorder, and that they ultimately help to raise awareness of this condition.

Banner image photography by Anselm Ebulue

Final work

In this short film, Abigail performs with three knitted textile works and seeks to express different emotions she associates with her experience of obsessive compulsive disorder.

The first textile work depicts 'sadness', the second represents 'restriction' and the third is about 'frustration'.

Filming by Anselm Ebulue

There are two images. The first image shows Abigail with a knitted work hanging from her arms. The second image is a close-up of part of the work.

A performance-focused knitted work depicting 'sadness'.

Photography by Anselm Ebulue

There are two images. The first image shows Abigail with a knitted work tied to her ankle. The second image is a close-up of the work and her ankle.

A performance-focused knitted work depicting 'frustration'.

Photography by Anselm Ebulue

Three images of a knitted work incorporating text that reads "23/01/24 - Anxious / nervous, jittery" and "24/01/24 - Frustrated and irritable".

A wall-based knitted work incorporating text that reads:

23/01/24 - Anxious / nervous, jittery

24/01/24 - Frustrated and irritable

Photography by Anselm Ebulue

Research and process

Three images of parts of mark-making onto paper. The first has long lines and the second two are hand-prints. Some hand-written text is visible.

Examples of mark-making onto paper:

13/01/24 - Fear (paint brush)

24/01/24 - Post-therapy session and post-cleaning the bathroom. I'm so hot under the studio heater. Feeling frustrated and irritable.

Reflecting on misuse of the term "OCD" - hurt and upset

Three images of parts of knitted works - the first two depict hand-print(s), the third includes text (part of the word "vulnerable" is visible twice).

Examples of knitted design development work.

Share this project

Marks of intrusion: my experience of OCD

Abigail is an artist with lived experience of obsessive compulsive disorder. Through this project, she sought to reflect on and express some of the emotions she associates with this condition. An important part of her process focused...

A link to this page has been added to your clipboard

Browse related work