Samaritan

Samaritan
August 20, 2024.
Unframed, but has mounted hanging fixtures.

59.4 x 84.1 cm (23.4 x 33.1 inches)

Matierals: Art panel, archival CMYK print, chiyogami and washi paper, acrylic paint, gouache, gilding flakes, gel medium.

I am shocked whenever I learn that people feel repulsed by scars.

The photographic series (ongoing) grew from a need to deal with my scars and how I felt about them. I was afraid to look at them, afraid of what people would think of them, saddened by what they made me think of myself. It wasn’t until years and a lot of personal healing later that I realized I had grown to love them and be thankful. There is always something worse that could happen. I’m still alive. My scars are my proof.

What began as my personal therapy project to try to find the beauty in something I was self-conscious of grew into a mission to show the figurative and literal beauty of scars to the world.

The friends and stories in this series are truly remarkable. I thank my subjects for allowing me to photograph them, hear their stories and share my own.

Even if they don’t define us, they are a part of us. They build character. Make us stronger. Often, they are the reason we are still alive. They are amazing and beautiful.

This person donated a part of his liver to a total stranger. That story deserves to be told. They are one of the best people I know and I am glad they trusted me to share their story in this way.