PENSIVE and provocative, the unnamed woman with flowers in her hair gazes out from the canvas with a kind of braggadocio, an lazy, enigmatic look etched around her eyes. It is a type of pleading that urges the observer to commit her to memory – and don't ever forget.
Appropriately so as this, the latest work from Belfast-born artist Terry Bradley, has been created specifically for the Alzheimer's Society and Dementia Awareness Week (May 14-21) and includes an epaulette of forget-me-nots on the woman's shoulder in floral reference to the charity's official symbol.
For the 61-year-old celebrated and self-taught artist, who now lives in Kircubbin, it has proved a poignant gesture and one not without some painful, personal involvement.
Bradley's father, Frank, suffered from both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease before his death seven years ago. Then, in a double whammy, his mother, Florence, was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.
The artist himself suffers from crippling anxiety and is being treated with a mix of medication and breathing therapy, so unveiling his latest 'woman' in characteristically bright style – a woman who reflects the "light and dark" of his own life – is something he feels passionately about.
"Doing this for the Alzheimer's Society is more important to me than exhibiting at an exclusive gallery somewhere," he says. "Having experienced the effects of dementia through both parents, I wanted to do something to help raise awareness, and hopefully increase funding, so that more research can go towards finding a cure.
"I remember going to see my father in hospital which was his home for four or five years and it was truly horrific. I would hold my breath and grieve over this stranger in my father's body.
"Then, when my mother was diagnosed a few years ago, it was a terrible shock all over again, but I couldn't brush what was happening under the carpet this time. You are definitely more aware of the signs when it happens to someone close to you a second time.
"Fortunately, my mother is still able to live independently at her home in Carryduff, with the help of a care package, but it is difficult."
With dementia predicted to be the 21st century's biggest killer – in 2015, there were 13,223 people living with a dementia diagnosis in Northern Ireland – the need for funding and research is greater than ever, according to operations director for Alzheimer’s Society in Northern Ireland, Bernadine McCrory.
New figures released by the charity from an Ipsos MORI survey last month revealed six in ten people in the north fear developing dementia the most, while 50 per cent of respondents agreed if they had dementia they would feel their "life would be over".
"We’re determined to bring everyone’s attention to the massive injustice faced by people with dementia and their carers, with too many denied the support they need," Bernadine says.
"Alzheimer’s Society hears day-in, day-out, about people with dementia and their carers struggling – from the carer having to choose between a knee operation and caring for her mum, to a man with young onset dementia who had to give-up work and ask his daughter to pay the mortgage so he could pay for his care.
"There are over 20,000 people living with dementia in Northern Ireland and we urgently need people to unite with us to improve care, offer help and understanding to those affected and find a cure."
Coping with the "impossible" price – in financial terms – of the disease is also a hidden burden, with the charity calculating it would take 125 years to save enough for a typical person's bill for dementia social care.
A new report launched last week by the charity laid bare the "unachievable cost" of dementia care, as successive governments place funding "squarely on the shoulders of people affected".
As part of its United Against Dementia campaign, ahead of Dementia Awareness Week, the charity published findings from its largest ever consultation with people affected by the disease in the report, 'Turning Up the Volume: Unheard Voices of People with Dementia'.
It found that nearly half (47 per cent) of UK adults aged between 16-75 years old have not started saving for the care and support they might need in the future. The report also confirmed the ongoing "stigma" around the condition and a "sense of hopelessness" surrounding a diagnosis.
Significantly, though, while highlighting how people can lose their sense of self, independence and the ability to live the life they want, Turning Up the Volume also revealed that when people with dementia are supported and able to access the right care and information, they are able to live fulfilled lives.
As Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society points out: "Dementia is a disease, as cancer is a disease, as heart disease is a disease. Getting dementia shouldn’t mean families are left bankrupt or destitute with nothing to leave behind."
It is a view echoed by the Northern Ireland branch of the charity and why the team here have pulled out all the stops to take a creatively artistic approach in highlighting Dementia Awareness Week with the help of one of our most popular artists.
"Just by speaking out, Terry Bradley is raising awareness of dementia and letting other people know they are not alone, while his generosity from the sale of prints of 'Forget-me-not' will help Alzheimer’s Society to both support people with dementia and their families and to fund research to find a cure," Bernadine adds.
"Dementia doesn’t care who you are; it could affect us all. It’s set to be the 21st century’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes, and so many people are facing it alone."
With two parents having faced the dementia diagnosis and all that it brings, Terry says his art has become ever more important, acting as a healing therapy which allows him to work through his own thoughts, emotions and worries.
The artist, best known for his signature pictures of Sailortown dockers and burlesque party girls, grew up beside a peace line in north Belfast and discovered from an early age the sedative effect of drawing. He says "hiding" behind his paintings is still what he does best today.
"I have bad days and good days with my anxiety," says the former factory and fashion shop boss, who now spends his free time visiting various youth organisations, talking to children about depression and good mental health.
"I have personal stuff; I have anxiety issues," he says "and exhibitions are nerve-racking affairs for me now which is why I try to avoid them – although I have agreed to an upcoming one in Edinburgh in June.
"A lot of the people I paint exude a false kind of confidence; there is a kind of showmanship. I add tattoos, beards, hats, all as something they can hide behind, a form of defence if you will – just as art is a form of defence that works for me."
:: The Forget-me-not print can be viewed at Bradley Gallery in Bangor and is available to order online at www.terrybradley.com All proceeds in aid of the Alzheimer's Society.
