SOFT LANDING
44AD Associate Artists Annual Exhibition
Artists’ Talk: Saturday 31st January (3pm)
Exhibition: Saturday 17th - Saturday 31st January 2026, Open: 12pm - 5pm / Sun 1pm - 4pm
We look forward to starting 2026 with our annual 44AD Associate Artists exhibition, this year titled SOFT LANDING.
Associate artists were invited to creatively respond to the title theme; exploring how art can turn difficult or uncertain feelings into something open, playful, or comforting. Artworks on display respond to personal, social, or global issues — from everyday anxieties to wider political or environmental concerns — hopefully offering moments of calm, humour, or tenderness.
The theme of Soft Landing was inspired by Bath Open Art Prize award winner 2025 Caitlin Dawkes’ practice, whose winning artwork Giant features on the exhibition promo poster and can be found on display in the exhibition.
Caitlin Dawkes is a visual artist based in North Somerset, working primarily with textiles and fibres to create tactile soft sculptures that challenge how audiences interact with art. Drawn to soft materials such as yarn and fleece, comfort is found in the rhythmic, repetitive processes of fibre art and needlework which offer a cathartic way of making. A key thread within Caitlin's practice is the exploration of art as a site of comfort and consolation, both for the artist, and those who engage with the work; using art practice as a therapeutic tool to shift melancholic thoughts of isolation and absence into playful, curious forms that spark joy.
We look forward to Caitlin's solo exhibition at 44AD in August 2026.