RADICAL Hysterectomy Series
In 2020, I had a Radical Hysterectomy following a diagnosis of endometrial cancer. This procedure removed my primary sex organs, including uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The resulting effects of surgical menopause caused me to re-examine issues around mental health, medical (mis)understanding of women's bodies, and conceptions around gender and gender affirming care.
This series places that surgical event into the context of lifelong experiences, drawing from imagery of myself as a young person through adulthood. Growing up in a culture of conservative gender norms and expectations, I reflect upon what it means to no longer have organs that predetermined so many elements of my upbringing, and the women in my life who quietly contributed to my outlook as an artist and maker.
This body of work mourns lost years of trauma and confusion, and a celebrates new understandings of self.
