Attending to the stories of displaced women: A portrait painter’s perspective

Thomas, Hannah Rose (2025) Attending to the stories of displaced women: A portrait painter’s perspective. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis traces the ethical and conceptual connections between Simone Weil’s account of attention and my artistic practice of attention through portrait paintings of displaced women. I have adopted a practice-led approach whereby the philosophical reflections are intricately informed by the contemplative, prayerful traditional painting methods that I have embraced. The research journey has been inductive, and the key themes have emerged gradually, mirroring the painting process itself. Alongside Simone Weil, I draw upon Adriana Cavarero’s concept of inclination and narratability and Luce Irigaray’s luminous writings on the phenomenology of art, silence, listening and prayer.

The thesis begins with an in-depth analysis of the ethics of representation. I begin with considering the dominant tropes in contemporary portrayal of refugees in the media and the history of portraiture painting and iconography. Drawing insights from figures including Emmanual Levinas, Jean-Luc Marion and Weil I consider the transformative potential of portrait painting as an ethical practice, transcending tendencies to reify or reduce 'the other’ and cultivating a culture of encounter and ethical engagement. These ethical concerns situate the research and foreground the relational approach that I embrace to both my portraiture painting practice and to the participatory art workshops with women from displaced and asylum-seeking communities. I gently seek to offer an approach to arts practice with and by women from displaced communities, that offers a space of space of care, reverent time-taking, deep listening and attention-giving.

The exegetical chapter shines a light upon the traditional, prayerful painting methods and techniques that I have embraced, drawn from iconography and early Renaissance sacred art. Painting a portrait is a gesture of inclined attention towards the irreducible mystery of the other, in solidarity, mutual respect and love. The thesis concludes with a reflection upon the value of the exhibitions of the portraits, specifically in political contexts, in creating the space for what Weil describes as an ‘interval of hesitation’. The work of art is a sacralising act that makes possible a more expansive encounter with the other and offers itself as an interval of wonder and transcendence, gesturing towards something of enduring significance. As such, this thesis endeavours to shines a light upon the reparative, restorative and mystical potential of a work of art. I contend that a reverential, relational approach to the portrait encounter as a gift of attention is possible.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology; H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; N Fine Arts > ND Painting; N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: Phipps, Professor Alison
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85233
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 20 Jun 2025 09:07
• Last Modified: 20 Jun 2025 12:30
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85233
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85233

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