Materiality in art therapy: A South African group study highlighting regulating, dysregulating and ambiguous art materials used on one canvas

This article, based on my master’s research study, addresses a variety of responses that art materials can elicit in individuals. Focus is placed on how art materials can assist in self-regulation, elicit dysregulation, or evoke more ambiguous responses. Four University of Johannesburg art therapy honours students participated in a four-week online art therapy group, using the one-canvas method to engage with materials drawn from the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), including dry/resistant, wet/fluid, and tactile media. Participants reflected on their experiences through group discussions and online surveys. Materials such as pencils and watercolour were described as containing and regulating, while others, such as glue, were experienced as uncomfortable, dysregulating, or even invasive. These responses were shaped not only by the materials’ properties but also by personal history, context, and meaning-making processes. Drawing on social constructivism and the Expressive Therapies Continuum as theoretical frameworks, the study highlights the interplay between materiality, internal experience, and socio-cultural positioning. While limited by a small, relatively privileged sample and the specific use of canvas, the findings nevertheless emphasise the need for art therapists to remain attuned to the emotional and sensory effects of art materials in art therapy.