artist statement

 There is a problem with the way we tell stories about disability. These stories are rarely about disabled people as people. They’re about the pity and tragedy of disabled people, the inspiration found in great suffering, and how some people are seen as objects to stare at and laugh at. Most films about disability aren’t concerned with representation that will benefit those with disabilities, rather the emotional experience of the abled-bodied viewer.

Because we're not accurately represented in the media, I want to show viewers an insight of how some of us really are, particularly me because I’m the person I know best. My artwork portrays an insight of how I personally am with those I’m close to. It can be thought of as a visual board of my life. Each piece I make represents different moments in my life glued together, the good and the bad. Some of these will include portraits of myself and my friends, others will have objects or places, and others will include doodles/drawings of me and my friends inside jokes.

In my artwork, you get to see me through my own point of view, not the able-bodied point of view. Our society segregates people with disabilities from “normal” people, and for many able-bodied people, depictions in the media will probably be their most meaningful interaction with disability. The audience these ableist movies are targeted to are often shown this sappy story when most of us don’t make that big of a deal about our disability (of course that is when we aren’t talking about disability issues.) I hope that with my artwork abled-bodied people can have a better understanding of how some of our lives are. As for disabled people, I hope this series brings them joy and that they see a little bit of themselves in my work.