The Story Behind My Art

At seventeen, I experienced a sudden and profound loss of hearing, vision, and physical function, alongside already living with a life altering chronic illnesses from a child, a genetic condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. During my physical recovery, art emerged unexpectedly as both a tool for rehabilitation and a means of expression. I started with digital tracing when I was unable to hold a pen or sign her name on medical documents and consent forms. I gradually built an interest in traditional art mediums and progressed through sketching, charcoal, and eventually paint. Each new medium required me to develop adaptive techniques to what I was learning through online workshops with closed captioning and later through mentorship conducted via Zoom, with professional artist Rachel Dorring. Over time, I established a distinctive process that accommodates my own access needs, creating large-scale mixed-media oil paintings on board occasionally from bed but mainly during short sessions using a wheelchair-accessible easel. Slowly building up guided by my physio i began standing to work on even larger scale pieces such as ‘Everyone Has A Seat At The Table’ (2 metres high by 150cm wide) to help work on my balance and overall leg function. My work is characterised by heightened contrast, vibrant colours. softened focus, and immersive light—visual languages that echo my experience of vision loss, chronic illness, and altered sensory perception.