The Project
I started “Resilient Bodies: Beauty Despite Disease” in June 2024. I take inspiration from a variety of diseases and conditions and turn it into aesthetic pieces of art. Initially, I prioritised ones that I either went through myself or have had experience with through a loved one. It was cathartic.
The feedback
Soon the project started evolving. People started reaching out to me on my instagram. I was baffled by how vulnerable and open-minded everybody was. Over and over I got feedback like “I feel so seen”. This journey has been immensely emotional, way more than I could have anticipated in the beginning. It feels like such a privilege to be able to talk to friends, acquaintances or complete strangers about such personal topics and adding my voice to the overall discussion.
Click through the drawings below to read people’s stories of “Resilient Bodies: Art of Disease”
A
Addiction
Inspired by my own experience.
Addiction is a disease. The substance is not the problem. It is a band aid to numb the pain or to feel anything in the face of overwhelming numbness.
ADHD
Inspired by my own experience.
Like ants, thoughts swarm a brain with ADHD. Sometimes ordered with purpose, sometimes chaotic. Always crawling over one another, never quiet, never stopping.
Anterograde Amnesia
Inspired by Chris’ story.
A type of memory loss that prevents you from forming new memories. How can you know what you have forgotten? It becomes about helping your future self.
Anxiety
Inspired by Matthew’s idea.
Fear is a useful emotion to keep us alive. However, sometimes this response goes into overdrive, causing feelings of dread when there is no actual danger.
Arterivenous Malformation
Inspired by my own experience.
An “AVM” is an abnormal connection from artery to vein. If asymptomatic, AVMs are rarely discovered and a bleed can be catastrophic.
Arthritis
Inspired by my elderly dog Yumi.
Arthritis is a progressive joint disease that causes inflammation in muscles and bone cartillage.
B
Body Dysmorphia
Inspired by Nicole’s story.
Body Dysmorphia is a disorder where the brain misperceives slight imperfections of its own body as major defects. It leads to wanting to cover up as much of your body as possible.
C
Carcinoma
Inspired by Eileen’s story.
Often referred to as “cancer”, this disease can manifest in almost any part of the body. Slumbering, it is often only discovered in a late stage. Like a time bomb, it wrecks everything around it.
Celiac Disease
Inspired by Katie’s story.
This is an autoimmune disease that causes extreme intolerance towards gluten. Even one tiny bread crumb causes the guts to attack and destroy themselves.
Chronic Fatigue
Inspired by Sage’s story.
Fatigue is a symptom of many conditions that are hard to diagnose. It gets harder and harder to keep up with your peers while they move up in life.
Chronic Pain
Inspired by Joanna’s story.
Especially in women, chronic pain is often dismissed or minimized. Even though our bodies are mighty, it sometimes feels like they are rickety steam engines that need extra care and love.
Cystic Fibrosis
Inspired by Bryan Warnecke’s story.
A genetic condition that causes an overproduction
of mucus in the lungs. It’s like “breathing through a straw”.
D
Dementia
Inspired by my grandmother Tamara.
In her last years my grandma “aged backwards”. She felt youthful, unburdened by her age. She collected colourful wrappers and put them up on her kitchen walls.
Depression
Inspired by Bo Burnham’s “Inside”.
Depression is not always sitting in a dark room, being sad. Sometimes it is performing in front of an audience, screaming out your truth, just to feel something.
Diabetes
Inspired by Cherry and Tyler’s experiences.
Diabetes is like a roller coaster you can’t get off of. It’s a flat track and the next minute you are screaming in terror. It feels like a crazed clown is at the controls.
E
Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome
Inspired by Sana’s story.
“When you hear hoofbeats, assume a zebra, not a horse.” This connective joint-tissue disorder is rare and very hard to diagnose. Spreading awareness is crucial.
H
High Altitude Sickness
Inspired by the “Against the Odds” podcast.
Ascending a mountain’s low-oxygen “death zone” too quickly can lead to headaches, dizziness,
hallucinations and death.
Hypothermia
Inspired by my cat Sonny who died in 2017.
When exposed to freezing temperatures, the body
protects its most vital parts by routing the warm blood
away from extremities.
I
Infertility
Inspired by Emily’s story.
Miscarriage is something that is not openly talked about often enough. Even if a pregnancy does not result in birth, some fetal cells remain and get re-absorbed to stay inside the body forever.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inspired by my own experience.
“IBS” is a very common disorder. Pain, bloating and constipation accompany almost every bowel movement.
K
Kidney Failure
Inspired by friends who lost their cats suddenly.
Many adult cats do not absorb enough liquid with their diet. This, among other causes, might lead to kidney failure. Get your cat’s blood tested yearly!
M
Macular Degeneration
Inspired by a close friend.
“MD” is when tiny protein deposits form under the macula and gradually cause
center vision to become blurry and disappear. Only
peripheral vision remains.
Migraine
Inspired by Alina’s and Katie’s stories.
It feels like your head is exploding. Colours, smells, it all becomes too much. All you can do is lie down in a dark room and feel pain. It is NOT “just a headache”.
Myopia
Inspired by Alan’s story.
Myopia or shortsightedness is not often referred to as a traditional disease. And yet, losing or not being able to afford new glasses can be debilitating for those with bad eye sight.
O
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Inspired by Berit’s story.
Also known as “glass bones”, OA causes bones to be brittle and fracture. To compensate, people often develop loud and colourful personalities and don’t let the wheelchair define them.
Osteoporosis
Inspired by the art of diaphonization.
A degenerative disease that attacks bone density and makes them brittle. The illustration is of a specimen in a mixture of chemicals that render the skin translucent and dye the bones.
R
Radiation Therapy
Inspired by Sam Riegel’s video.
Radiation is commonly used to treat tumors and cancers. A “radiation mask” is affixed above the patient’s head to hold it still during treatment. Treatment is often taxing and scary. It’s okay to not be okay.
S
Scoliosis
Inspired by my own experience.
When a spine has bends beyond its natural curvature, the person experiences pain during regular tasks every day. Physical therapy is needed just to be able to function.
Do you or a loved one have a story worth sharing?
I always have more ideas that I am working on. However, I am planning to turn this whole series into an art book (or a “zine”) when it is done. If you would like to share your experience and perhaps have an idea on how to represent a disease you care strongly about, send me a message! Everybody who shared their story will receive a free copy of “Resilient Bodies: Art of Disease” in the mail when they are done.