Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Passio, 2026. Photo credit Deniz Guzel

Since September, a group of Pinc College students have been working on a Monday at the Whitworth Art Gallery. At Pinc College, we provide unique creative study programmes for neurodivergent students aged 16 – 24. Last Monday, two of our students visited the Micheala Yearwood-Dan exhibition ‘The Practice of Liberation’. Students explored the exhibition of paintings, ceramics and music which brought up discussions on spirituality, music and self-discovery. In their own words, our students describe their experience of and takeaways from the exhibition.

Tyler-

The first thing I noticed when I entered the exhibition was the writing that covered most of the art pieces. I was immediately drawn to come closer to the artwork and read what was hidden in the work. As an audience, the writing on the work invites you to come closer to understand it. The work itself is colourful and vibrant- a mix of paintings and sculptures.

I enjoyed the large abstract paintings the most, particularly the work ‘Passio’. I like the busy feel of the work and how you can make out shapes like birds hidden in the brushstrokes.

Micheala’s message of self-discovery and self-acceptance speaks to me as an autistic person. I am interested in how she has overcome her challenges and come out with a positive mindset. Everyone should be more like Micheala.

I think my main takeaway from the exhibition was that she has faced challenges and managed to move on from them which I find inspiring. Micheala’s art makes me feel motivated to just be myself. Although we have very different experiences and backgrounds, I feel a common ground with her through her work.

Dan-

Micheala Yearwood-Dan focuses heavily on queer identity, faith, and her native landscape. When I first entered her exhibition, I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of calm. Micheala uses strong yet faded tropical colours that provoke a relaxing vibe and, combined with the tranquil yet loud church hymns in the background, gives you a true feeling of deep peace.

I was most drawn to the paintings, as the colours stood out fantastically, as well as the hidden messages of love and spirituality in them. The work made me feel very welcome. Some of the paintings remind me of my own work that I created for the John Rylands exhibition in February 2026 where I used bright and vibrant watercolours to create large scale abstract paintings.

Overall, this exhibition provoked a sense of calm within me, as well as bringing up questions within myself about the meaning of spirituality. I would really recommend visiting this exhibition because of this.

A blog post from Pinc College students on the Micheala Yearwood-Dan exhibition, The Practice of Liberation