The roots (2019 - 2022)

When I was sixteen, I was present at the bedside of my older sister to help prevent her from committing suicide. She was then in the early stages of her struggle with anorexia. Hospitals and psychiatric offices served as both refuge and restraint for her and for many others with similar mental illness challenges. Like an old black-and-white movie, the austere corridors and mysterious, shadowed rooms of the iconic Saint Côme psychiatric hospital within Hôtel Dieu de Paris blurred the lines between healing, confinement, and possible liberation—if one wanted it. Through this evolving project, I came to understand that she had constructed a life that works for her, one in which she remains dependent and cared for.

​

While Her Fragile Life is focused primarily on my sister, the stories it tells provide a bridge from the personal realm to the collective experience of illness and survival. Her Fragile Life is not merely a group of photographs but an artistic fine art photography project that encompasses a symphony composed of layers, diverse emotions, and contrasting hues. The use of photocollage weaves together two distinct layers—a refined, monochromatic canvas joined with a vibrant layer painted in the hues of life. 3D windows are meticulously excised and deconstructed, implying both my own engagement and allowing glimpses into the feelings within. This illness photography project reflects the complexity of mental illness experiences, both individual and shared.