Art and the Humanities
The School of Humanities and Social Science has worked in partnership with Fine Art in the School of Art and Creative Industries to develop a new art project, inspired by the research, teaching and culture of the School. We selected three Fine Art graduates and set them a challenge to produce original artworks which each tell a story of our work, the building and the journey our students take during their time with us.
The works produced by recent graduates has fulfilled the brief of showcasing the energy of the School of Humanities and Social Science, and demonstrating to all those students, from across the university, who use the building that it is a welcoming and creative space to spend time in.
Alicia Wooley
Alicia Wooley worked with Dr Andrea Livesey, a Historian who specialises on transatlantic slavery and black maternal health to produce a digital piece. Alicia graduated from BA Fine Art in May 2025, and produced work for the degree show.
About Alicia
Alicia Woolley specialises in eye-catching digital art. She is a self-taught graphic artist with a strong command of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Alicia enjoys bringing her ideas to life and collaborating on exciting projects like this. While finishing her degree, Alicia worked on a variety of projects, including a large mural she produced for St John’s Shopping Centre, ‘The Liverpool Wall of Wonder’ which garnered a lot of regional media attention, with media outlets such as BBC, The Guide, LJMU, Explore Liverpool and Liverpool World covering the story.
About the work
Dr Andrea Livesey, Associate Professor of Engaged History at LJMU worked with Alicia on this piece. “The Black Maternal Health and History Project is a collaborative research and public engagement initiative led by Liverpool John Moores University (History and Midwifery) and Collective Encounters, with National Museums Liverpool, that brings together historical scholarship, creative practice, and lived experience to address persistent racial inequalities in maternal health. Andrea’s co-leads on the project were Michelle Richards (Collective Encounters), Natalie Denny (Skywriters and LJMU Creative Writing PhD Student), and Dr Clare Maxwell (LJMU Public Health). Developed in response to the stark evidence that Black women in the UK continue to face significantly higher risks of maternal mortality, the project works with local Black mothers to explore links between historical experiences of enslavement, reproductive injustice, and contemporary maternity care. Through trauma-informed workshops using archival material, theatre, poetry, and discussion, participants co-produced new knowledge, creative outputs, and practical resources, including a community-led information leaflet for Black mothers and knowledge exchange with midwifery educators and healthcare professionals. The project demonstrates how history, when used reparatively and collaboratively, can inform present-day practice, support advocacy, and contribute to more inclusive, equitable approaches to maternal healthcare.”
Ciara Denton
Ciara Denton has produced two pieces of original photography focused on the history and nature of the convent and chapel. She graduated from BA Fine Art in May 2025, and produced work at the degree show.
About Ciara
Ciara Denton’s practice combines digital photography, fabric, and print-based media to explore her shifting relationship with Catholicism and her sense of heritage as an Irish national born in Britain. As her faith becomes more secular, she uses materials, light, and gesture to reflect on the tension between inherited tradition and personal identity.
About the work
“I was aiming to develop a new set of photographs for this project, which starts a conversation about the original use of the John Foster Building which was used to educate girls that often came from poorer backgrounds. I wanted to centre my work around Frances Lescher (Sister Mary of St Philip) who was the school’s Mistress of Studies. The building’s architects utilised the revival of Gothic architecture and catholicity to create a space for a model institution which we still use today. My idea is to have a female figure, with a prop who will be draped in a wet/dampened white fabric – I’m considering layering with rosemary beads and having poses familiar to status of St Philip. This is intended to bridge a connection to Frances Lescher while still relating to my own style of work.”
The mediums involved are photography, wet silk, and rosary beads. These images were created in a photography studio using two single sources of light and were later edited in Photoshop. The idea behind them was sparked from conversations around the building’s original use as a convent and teaching school. I want the two works to be placed either side of the entrance to the chapel, making the archway into the chapel the centre point; the work brings forth curiosity in students and invites them into the chapel. I used a female figure/model to reference the girls originally taught to become teachers at the school. Rosary beads nod specifically to Catholic practice and the sisters of the Notre Dame mission to educate women. My intention is to spotlight the chapel so it feels more a part of the John Foster Building and its corridors.
Amber Roman
Amber Roman has painted a large piece using oils, which celebrates the moments around graduation. She graduated from BA Fine Art in May 2025 and continues to develop her art at home in London.
About Amber
Amber’s practice focuses on capturing candid, fleeting moments of her life and translating them into oil painting. She works from her own photography, often taken spontaneously, to preserve the authenticity from generic daily interactions. Slowing down the quick moments through painting, adds weight and permanence to her scenes that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
About the work
“The intention for this painting was always to create a portrait-based image from candid photography that captures movement and spontaneity. This approach reflects my wider body of work, which is rooted in authenticity, intimacy, and the significance of small, shared experiences. When considering shared experiences that define university life, graduation stands out as one of the most meaningful. The painting depicts six students throwing their hats into the air, emphasising both the individuality of each figure and the collective atmosphere of celebration that marks the end of the university journey.
Rather than presenting a staged or formal image, the painting focuses on an honest, fleeting moment. It reflects the transitional experiences that shape student identity, and the point at which years of study, friendships, and personal growth culminate into a single moment of celebration. By translating this into paint, the moment gets slowed down and given a permanent presence, preserving the feeling of joy, relief, and anticipation that accompanies graduation.
The painting has been reproduced and hangs in the John Foster Building, a space characterised by older architecture that can sometimes feel visually distinct from the rest of the university’s campus. Because of this, I wanted the work to act as a reminder of the contemporary student experience within the building. By depicting a recognisable and meaningful moment from student life, the painting connects the historic surroundings of the building with the ongoing journeys of the students learning within.”