Joanne Barrett

Bethlem Artist Collective

“As an autistic artist I use my particular sensory and synaesthetic understanding to challenge the idea of a heirarchy of social imagining and the perception and reality of autistic incarceration and trauma.”

Joanne Barrett is a ceramicist, weaver and writer. Without a formal art school education and as a late-entry artist her work sits within the Outsider art movement. She has an acute sensitivity to texture and colour where meaning and form are secondary processes. She uses drawing, painting, text and printmaking as part of her explorations and is drawn to the haptic in textiles, clay and a range of media.

Joanne works collaboratively as a member of participatory projects, many attuned to neurodiversity, ranging from 6 months to 3 years, where the group produce workshops for artists and in the community, and where an exhibition can be part of the process. These include the Bromley by Bow centre, Tate Modern, St. Mungo’s, the Irish Cultural Centre: Fitrovia Chapel, the Crafts Council: Crafting with Pride, East London Textile Arts: Art Workers Guild, Out of Context Folkestone: Fourth Wall Gallery, Wave Cafe and the City Lit: Developing Artist Course.

With Bethlem Gallery: Bethlem Open (2024 ‘Highly Commended’) (2025). Participation in events and workshops: Writers group (2023-2024):  Zine publications: art and poetry, ‘Live Lounge’ (2024): performance and lyrics for an album track. National Autism Unit Sensory Art Project (2026): Panel member grant application review, Unfurling: Coming out of Isolation, Fountain House Gallery (NY) and Bethlem Gallery (London) (2025-2026) Artist and Co-Curator,  Bethlem Archive Collective: Exhibition (2026-2027).

In addition work also exhibited at:
Outside In: Environments, Piano Nobile (2019-2020), Bishopsgate Institute (2023) Lighthouse Educational Society (2026).