CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

The Body Remembers

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 For the last year, my hips have become a place my body and mind return to over and over again. I’ve been living with chronic illness for years. Doctor’s appointments, blood work, scans, procedures, medications, and more questions than answers… it became a language I never expected to learn. Living with Sjögren’s, Lupus, PCOS, etc… and chronic pain has changed the relationship I have with my own body. But around September of last year, chronic hip pain became something I never knew I’d have to live with like this. When I looked at my hip X-rays, I couldn’t stop thinking about them- So I painted them! The flowers bloom exactly where the pain lives. This piece is a map of my body. They’re not there to cover up the pain or make it seem beautiful. They’re there because even in a body that doesn’t always cooperate, something can still grow. For a long time, I felt like I needed to hide this part of my life. I was afraid that if I talked about my illnesses, they’d become the only thing people saw. But talking about it changed something. The more I opened up, the more people found me. People living with lupus, Sjögren’s, chronic pain, invisible illnesses, and stories that sounded so much like mine. Sharing my experience hasn’t taken the pain away, but it has made me realize I’m not carrying it alone. This painting marks a return to canvas and a new direction for my work. I want to create art that’s honest. Art that tells the truth about living in a body that remembers. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀🌸🩻🌀🪴🌼