School of Creative
Industries
Andrea Daniel
Andrea Daniel held a Bachelor's in Psychology prior to enrolling in the MA Art Therapy programme at LASALLE. Her MA studies allowed her to further pursue her love for psychology as well as refine her practice in a more holistic and hands-on way. With her passion, Andrea was privileged to work with children and adolescents during her clinical placement. Her final year clinical placement working with youths-at-risk in a residential setting has sparked her interest in working with adolescents dealing with trauma, which has in turn sparked a clinical interest in trauma-informed art therapy. Andrea’s style of art is abstract expressionism. Drawing inspiration from the spontaneity of her moods and surroundings, she integrates aspects of herself and her characteristics into her paintings. Andrea’s art-making usually consists of muted to strong movements that are complemented by contrasting colour palettes that reflect herself.
Work
Defy
Mixed media on canvas
101 x 76 cm
2021
We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and darkness, the one thing against another creates… Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty”
- Junichiro Tanizaki (1933)
Defy highlights the contrast of light in darkness. The broad strokes of the lily symbolise the strength one needs to burst out of the shadows and defy darkness with light. The powerful emotions brought upon by Defy through its lightness and darkness reflect the artist’s experience in her clinical placement, and her overall journey in the MA Art Therapy programme. The title, Defy, was chosen as it captured various moments of defiance in the artist’s process of mess-making, which was emphasised again through the intentional decision to display the piece in an unconventional manner.
Thesis abstract
A qualitative inquiry on coping with grief with a female adolescent in a residential home in Singapore
The developmental stage of an adolescent is an important and complex stage of one’s life. Adding to the stressors of an adolescent are the challenges they experience with the passing of not one, but both parents over the span of a couple of years. Current literature has explored various different grief frameworks and the benefits of art therapy for individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. However, limited literature exists on exploring a female adolescent who has experienced the loss of both parents and currently residing in a residential setting. This study explored the ethical considerations of art therapy within the context of a residential setting. The findings of the study have shown that through art therapy, the client was able to use art-making to express herself emotionally as well as to process and cope with the passing of her parents.