Letters to Forever, transforming written grief into multisensory

Letters to Forever, transforming written grief into multisensory art

6th - 28th August 2025

The exhibition will take place in St Peter’s Church, St Albans, Hertfordshire. One of the oldest churches in England.

Ukrainian-born artist Natalia Millman, will fill St Peter’s Church with an exhibition of remarkable artworks this summer. With generous funding by the Arts Council England, this project establishes Natalia as a leading artist working in Hertfordshire. The recently refurbished church hosts an exhibition of over 200 drawings, sculptures, performances, sound recordings and videos, exploring the topical themes of grief and loss.

Alongside this powerful exhibition, Natalia welcomes local people to participate in several workshops exploring their own experiences of grief through creativity: using clay, mindfulness, movement and drawing.
Natalia’s project is accessible to everyone and inclusive for the Ukrainian community in St Albans and those with dementia, and their carers. The artist lost her father to dementia five years ago and developed these artworks as part of her grief journey.

At the exhibition’s heart, stands a large structure displaying nearly 200 grief letters that Natalia invited people to write to her, expressing each person’s unique experience of loss. In response to each letter, the artist has created a beautiful drawing to capture the essence of the letter’s content.
Elsewhere in the exhibition, visitors encounter a meditation on loss, a sound bath, a piece of music, small sculptures, textiles and a specially commissioned scent – creating a truly immersive experience. Beyond the building, the installation seeps into the grounds: an intimate ring of pre-loved chairs awaits, and a series of engraved plaques lie amongst existing gravestones.

Events and Workshops:
7 August - Exhibition Launch / 6-8.30 PM, St Peter’s Church St Albans
13 August - Artist Talk: Natalia Millman in Conversation with Kate Ray, Art of Grieving / 1-2 PM
16 August - Yoga for Healing / 1-2.30 PM St Peter’s Church St Albans
17 August - Change, Release & Belonging for Ukrainian community / 1-4.30PM St Peter’s Church St Albans
19 August - Mindful Clay / 1-3 PM St Albans Museum & Gallery
20 August - Caring for Carers for companions of people with dementia, in collaboration with Memory Support Hertfordshire / 1-3.30 PM St Peter’s Church St Albans
24 August - Beautiful Grief: Circle & Ritual in Grief / 1-4 PM St Peter’s Church St Albans
28 August - Performance & Film Screening “Letters to Forever” / 7-8 PM St Peter’s Church St Albans

For more information go to: www.nataliamillmanart.com

For more information visit http://www.nataliamillmanart.com/