Created for The Art of Care gallery by Planned Parenthood. This portrait honors the resilience of a survivor whose childhood trust was profoundly betrayed by a family member. Created through conversation and deep listening, this portrait reflects her desire to be seen authentically—in motion, natural, hair out, embodying both vulnerability and strength. A person, choosing themselves, in every dance. There’s a lot that can be assumed by seeing a woman on a pole, regardless of her truth, and this speaks to the complex reality of survival: feeling trapped by the inevitable past while continuing to choose the life desired and deserved. This portrait is vibrant, full of life, love, femininity, and the enduring spirit that persists despite repeated attempts to diminish it all, and it is done on purpose. It’s the point of existence: to choose what’s next and trust ourselves with that uncertainty despite the scars that try to keep us in the same stagnant place. The right move, regardless of what anyone thinks. This survivor describes herself through the philosophy of kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold—where fractures are not hidden, but honored as part of something made even more beautiful. This piece is a testament to healing, survival, and the radical act of choosing to rise again and again and again. Painfully. In plain sight. Beautifully.
Click here to view the digital gallery, and click here to read more about this campaign.
Created for The Art of Care gallery by Planned Parenthood. This portrait honors the resilience of a survivor whose childhood trust was profoundly betrayed by a family member. Created through conversation and deep listening, this portrait reflects her desire to be seen authentically—in motion, natural, hair out, embodying both vulnerability and strength. A person, choosing themselves, in every dance. There’s a lot that can be assumed by seeing a woman on a pole, regardless of her truth, and this speaks to the complex reality of survival: feeling trapped by the inevitable past while continuing to choose the life desired and deserved. This portrait is vibrant, full of life, love, femininity, and the enduring spirit that persists despite repeated attempts to diminish it all, and it is done on purpose. It’s the point of existence: to choose what’s next and trust ourselves with that uncertainty despite the scars that try to keep us in the same stagnant place. The right move, regardless of what anyone thinks. This survivor describes herself through the philosophy of kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold—where fractures are not hidden, but honored as part of something made even more beautiful. This piece is a testament to healing, survival, and the radical act of choosing to rise again and again and again. Painfully. In plain sight. Beautifully.
Click here to view the digital gallery, and click here to read more about this campaign.
