Telling Tales: Unexpectedly Illustrated Stories from the Isle of Man & Beyond 

Telling Tales was a celebration of recent work in the form of a solo exhibition and series of workshops held on the Isle of Man in the autumn of 2022. A series of projects were shared that demonstrate the power of story and its capacity to connect to place, influence culture or give a voice to those who otherwise would not be heard. The exhibition was a mystical offering of transformation and transmutation through the power of visual storytelling. 

Pieces in the exhibition ranged from books, comics, zines, artefacts, animation and framed fine art prints. From changing the culture around dementia and examining modern folklore on the Isle of Man, to picking up a humble book that changes our lives forever and climbing out the window to howl, splash, swoon and run with our wild selves, the stories in this show range from the unbelievably real to the believably unreal, and all are Telling Tales of the unexpected.

This exhibition and associated workshops were kindly supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council. 

"When I first came across the work of graphic artist and designer Ali Hodgson, I was immediately struck by its haunting and evocative beauty. I saw something that I had tried to achieve with printmaking many years ago, without success, those rich dark tones and those subtle variations of grey, so delicate and yet so powerful. The closer I look at Ali’s illustrations, the more I am in awe of her superb skills and exceptional talent. It’s art with depth.”

- Bruno Cavellec, artist & composer