In the February 26 edition of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International – Dr Tim McInerny, Pictures Editor, BJPsych International, introduces Cathy Freeman, the artist whose work is on the cover of the February 2026 edition of BJPsych International.

As pictures editor, I have selected Cathy’ Freeman’s work, Stuff 33, for the February 2026 cover. 

Cathy Freeman has worked as a designer for commercial brands ranging from Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, American Express, British Airways and Christian Dior to Marks & Spencer. She built a career in textiles, then as a graphic designer, an art director in publishing and later as an academic at Arts University Plymouth in the UK.

Cathy started to practise as a fine artist on a variety of projects recording her own environment and belongings. She was also influenced by Alain De Botton’s ‘The Architecture of Happiness’ and James Wallman’s ‘Stuffocation’ texts that questioned our need to acquire things as a means of proclaiming our social status. These reflected her own observations: that commercialism and the need to constantly acquire and own things and the pressure to update and upgrade can cause stress and social anxiety leading to feelings of dissatisfaction. 

These concerns led to the ‘Stuff’ series of work shown on the front cover of this month’s journal. In ‘Stuff 33’ by repeatedly overlaying recorded objects and using a monochrome palette, the artist is attempting to calm the visual noise. Some work is repeated until the layering finally obliterates all you can see.

Cathy lives and works on the tip of Cornwall, south-west England, where she is immersed in a rural and maritime landscape. However her love-hate relationship with design and objects of consumerism persists.

Cathy continues to practise as an artist and less frequently as a commercial designer, although her fascination with domestic objects and the ordinary things that fill our lives is a continuing theme. Strong shapes, striking colour palettes and repeated motifs and patterns also feature in her work – perhaps a need to pare down and simplify in order to create calm.

Instagram: @cefreemanartist

Welcome to Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International. This blog aims to highlight international art and artists, particularly from low-and-middle-income countries, with a focus on mental health. We welcome submissions for consideration, such as, comments on artwork, visual arts, literature, drama, films, podcasts, and videos. Do have a look at the instructions for blog authors for details on how to submit. General enquiries about the blog: BJPInternational@rcpsych.ac.uk

Dr Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Editor-in-Chief, BJPsych International.