BLISS Cavanagh’s one of a kind studio is a sensory wonderland, comprising brightly coloured fluffy lights, comforting furniture and soothing music.
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The artist and designer started creating the tactile and quirky works on display in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms of her Tourette Syndrome, but has since turned her creativity into a commercial venture.
‘‘It’s been wonderful, I never thought at 24 that I’d have my own business and become successful doing what I love,’’ she said.
Ms Cavanagh has experienced tics since she was six years old and was diagnosed with the neurological disorder when she was nine.
She was studying for a fine arts degree at the University of Newcastle when she decided to create her own personal and therapeutic sensory art environment for her honours year project.
‘‘Tics are when the body is looking for sensory stimulation,’’ she said.
‘‘I wanted to create a space that was highly visual, tactile and have aromas and sound components.’’
Ms Cavanagh filled a black room with a soft floor to lie on, sculptures created from clay and faux fur and night lights that could be turned on or off by pressing the fur covered surface.
‘‘I felt relaxed and comfortable and my tics disappeared,’’ she said of being in the space.
‘‘I had been scared to tell people I had Tourettes, but this was a way to come to terms with it.
‘‘It made me feel like I have control over the tics and has changed me as a person, it’s made me more confident and more happy.’’
Ms Cavanagh has since been commissioned to create large scale decorative installations for organisations such as Newcastle Now and events such as the Newcastle Writers Festival.
She opened Studio Bliss in a Renew Newcastle space on the mezzanine level of Hunter Street Mall in early 2013 and graduated to a larger commercial space four months ago, from where she sells, hires and takes commissions for a range of furniture and lights.
Ms Cavanagh is currently completing her PhD on Art and Sensory Environments; a new approach to improving mental health and wellbeing in mainstream society.
‘‘Sensory rooms such as this tend to be in more institutionalised settings, but I want to bring this concept into the mainstream,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m hoping to eventually open a sensory art centre, a therapeutic space that everyone can access and that can be part of the solution in terms of mental health and wellbeing.’’
Ms Cavanagh is hosting the official opening at Studio Bliss on Thursday from 5pm.
