Rachael Hegarty
Reclaim My Body
Reclaim my Body is an exploration into the use of tattoos as therapy to help people deal with significant events in their lives. This project developed from my own personal struggle in dealing with my mother's breast cancer and how I used tattooing as a way to reclaim control over the situation. I realised this was a popular phenomenon happening amongst my peers and that others were also getting tattoos as a way to reclaim control over their emotions. From here, I decided to develop this into a photographic series that would highlight how the process of tattooing has changed over the last decade from predominantly body art to art that promotes emotional healing as well. For this photographic series I worked with participants who's tattoos dealt with the most powerful of human emotions. I asked them to write their story and then allow me to photograph their portrait and tattoo. This resulted in a project that documented people who have utilized tattoo therapy as a way to reclaim their bodies and mind from uncontrollable situations.
Ieva Baltaduonyte • Joseph Carr • Brian Cregan • David Doherty • Brendan Grimes • Rachael Hegarty • Caroline McNally • Tracy O'Brien • Sinead O'Neill • Katie O'Neill • Lauren Pritchard • Lyndsey Putt •
Barking and Dagenham College
BA (Hons) Photography
Blackpool and the Fylde College
BA (Hons) Photography
Mid Cheshire College
FDA Contemporary Photography
University of Chester
BA (Hons) Photography
De Montfort University
BA (Hons) Photography and Video
Dublin Institute of Technology
BA (Hons) Photography
IADT Dun Laoghaire
BA (Hons) Photography
Edinburgh College of Art
BA (Hons) Photography
Edinburgh Napier University
BA (Hons) Photography and Film
University College Falmouth
BA (Hons) Photography
University for the Creative Arts Farnham
BA (Hons) Photography
Glasgow School of Art
BA (Hons) Fine Art
University of Gloucestershire
BA (Hons) Fine Art - Photography
Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University
BA (Hons) Photographic and Electronic Media
Griffith College Dublin
BA Photographic Media (Part Time)
Hereford College of Arts, University of Wales
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Central Lancashire
BA (Hons) Photography
Leeds College of Art
BA (Hons) Photography
Liverpool John Moores University
BA (Hons) Photography
Manchester Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) Photography
The National College of Art & Design
Certificate in Photography and Digital Imaging
University of Wales, Newport
BA (Hons) Documentary Photography