Lydia Wickham holds a BFA from Columbus College of Art & Design. She lives in Circleville and works in Columbus, OH. Wickham has exhibited nationally, including VIVID at d’Art Center in Norfolk, VA; Transparency at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights, IL; and Carla: The Essence of Love and Joy at All People Arts in Columbus, OH. Wickham received third Best of Show at the 2024 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Competition (Amateur Division). In 2025, Wickham held a solo exhibition at 934 Gallery in Columbus, OH, has a piece traveling with Art Possible Ohio’s Accessible Expressions 2025 exhibition, and placed in the professional division of the Ohio State Fair Fine Art Competition. Coming up, she has a work selected for the 2025-26 Art Ability Exhibition at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in Malvern, PA.

Statement

My work explores invisible forces that shape how we perceive reality. Living with chronic, unseen conditions has made me question what is real and how perception creates our world. I’m drawn to transformative moments; where fragility and resilience coexist, and, like the process of sublimation, where the internal suddenly becomes external. Through vibrant color, light, and tactile materials like embroidery, neon vinyl, fiber, and reflective surfaces, I create immersive moments that invite viewers to look again. Transparency and reflection become metaphors for the fluidity of perception and the often-invisible layers of experience; microscopic, emotional, energetic. My process is intuitive and meditative, rooted in instinct and observation, influenced by scientific imagery, personal experience with synesthesia, and the belief that internal and external worlds are in constant conversation. By repurposing materials associated with femininity or play, I reclaim them as conduits for expression and transformation. I use decoration as disruption, prompting curiosity, wonder, and deeper reflection. My work asks: Do we trust our own experience or the systems that interpret us? My goal is to challenge fixed perceptions, reveal unseen forces, and empower viewers to trust their inner knowing. I aim to create spaces where perception is fluid, energy is visible, and the hidden revealed.