‘I Transform Hate into Love’: – How Louise Bourgeois Inspires The Joyful Artist

Discover the transformative power of Louise Bourgeois’ art and how it inspires artists to find joy in their creative journey.

As I sit in my studio surrounded by canvases splashed with vibrant color and layers of raw emotion, I find myself reflecting on Louise Bourgeois, the legendary artist who transformed her deepest wounds into works of art.

Louise was born on Christmas Day. What a symbolic day to enter this world!

As I write, it is Christmas in New Zealand. My intention is to lean into all that is beautiful, and a post about how Louise Bourgeois inspires many great artists, including Tracey Emin, popped up in my feed. You may enjoy this article about a collaboration between the two artists>>

“I transform hate into love.”

Louise’s words, “I transform hate into love,” resonate with me profoundly. They echo through my own creative journey, inspiring me to channel pain and frustration into something healing, something joyful.

Louise’s art is both deeply personal and universally relatable, drawing from her childhood trauma, complex family dynamics, and the psychological scars left by betrayal. She once said, “Art is a guarantee of sanity.” I think of her as I layer paint onto my canvas, weaving my own stories of struggle and triumph. Her work reminds me that creativity is not just an act of making—it is an act of survival.

For Louise, spiders became a recurring motif, symbolizing her mother—protective, patient, yet often misunderstood. I, too, have my symbols. Flowers bloom in many of my pieces, a nod to the gardens of my childhood and the resilience that grows from life’s darker moments. Like Louise, I take the emotions I’d rather not confront—anger, fear, grief—and alchemize them into something transformative.

fearless honesty

What I admire most about Louise is her fearless honesty. She never shied away from the rawness of life, instead using it to forge deeper connections with her audience. She didn’t care what people thought of her work, she created from her own vision.

I strive for that same honesty in my work, allowing my paintings to speak truths I sometimes cannot articulate with words. Louise’s sculptures, often visceral and haunting, inspire me to embrace imperfection. They remind me that art does not need to be pretty to be powerful; it needs to be real.

The painting below, Stardust, is a good example.

It was such a shock to lose my mum in 2022—2 days after I returned home to the Bay of Islands, after two weeks of caring for her. Thankfully, I could channel my feelings into creativity. I don’t usually paint black paintings, but I leaned into my grief and, in the process, fell in love with the strength and beauty of black…black was also my mum’s favorite color.

Stardust sold in 2024, during my birthday sale to a repeat collector who has 4 of my original works, including a large and very colourul beeswax he and his (then) wife commissioned. Sadly, he informed me that their marriage has recently ended. Perhaps the strength of this painting is what drew his heart to it.

Stardust, Cassandra Gaisford 2022 New Zealand Beeswax, Frankincense, Pure Pigment, Charcoal on board, 150 cm x 200 cm

You may love this insight into my painting process and harnessing the power of black….A little bit more about Stardust.

a female artist navigating a male-dominated world

Louise Bourgeois‘s journey as a female artist navigating a male-dominated world also emboldens me. Louise was born several years before my grandmother Molly, on 25 December 1911, and began her career at a time when women’s voices in art were often dismissed, yet she persevered, creating pieces that demand attention and evoke visceral reactions.

Best of all, she was so original, it was impossible for others to claim credit for her work, something I discuss more in my blog: Taking Credit for Women’s Art.

Image Credit: Louise Bourgeois’ spider sculpture…By Pixelillo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109913722

I think of her tenacity whenever I doubt my place in the art world. Her legacy gives me the courage to claim my space unapologetically.

Louise also reminds me that transformation is not linear—it is cyclical. She worked through her pain again and again, revisiting themes over decades. I find solace in this. It gives me permission to revisit my own struggles without guilt, knowing that each encounter brings me closer to understanding and healing.

Every time I create, I feel her spirit urging me to dig deeper. Louise once said, “To express what I feel is the most important thing.” And so, I paint not just to create beauty but to process, to heal, and to offer a piece of my truth to the world.

For example, A Hopeful Heart was created during a very stressful time, deeply entrenched with betrayal.

Through Louise Bourgeois, I learn to embrace my vulnerabilities and transform them into strengths. She teaches me that joy is not the absence of pain but the triumph over it. Her mantra, “I transform hate into love,” is not just a statement—it’s a practice, a philosophy, and a call to action.

On my blog, I share how I felt about giving up and what you can do if you feel that way.

How art stops me from overthinking and giving up

bree-jessica-and-me-with-Love-is-The-Answer

Love is The Answer, Cassandra Gaisford, 2024

I wanted to share a lovely memory with you. When Bree and her mum visited my studio, they shared the really sad and unexpected passing of their much-loved dad and husband last year. They fell in love with two paintings and left smiling. It’s so lovely that art can help heal the hole in our hearts this way. As Picasso so sagely said, “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Joan Mitchell once said, “Put your feelings in there. Don’t just paint some shit like you don’t care.” As simple as it sounds, this quote holds the power to transform a painting into a living expression, a canvas brimming with raw emotion—a painting that touches people’s hearts.

I hope you enjoy this lovely memory. As the paintings confirm, love is the answer and art can help us feel happy and excited for everything.

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, Cassandra Gaisford, 2024

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I hope you enjoy this artist’s talk and a peek into my creative process. You’ll see my warm and cozy winter painting outfit! and also me working intuitively on:

Playful, spontaneous and gestural strokes imbue this painting with life, happiness and healing. I find so much joy in weaving together the exquisite beauty of nature and the powerful themes found in Pink’s song “Wild Heart’s Can’t Be Broken.”

Each piece I create serves as a celebration of strength and resilience, where the flowers I depict become symbols of endurance and authenticity, echoing the empowering sentiments of the song.

gratitude!

Today, as I put the finishing touches on a new piece, I feel a sense of gratitude. I carry Louise’s wisdom with me, her courage stitched into the fabric of my work. I am reminded that art is not just what we create but what it allows us to become. And in that becoming, there is always joy…which is why I am The Joyful Artist!