Scar Stories / Brisbane.

Tomorrow night is the opening night for the Scar Stories exhibit at my workplace, Bleeding Heart. Anyone who’s around should come and check it out, because it’s a really stunning and confronting exhibition and it’s supporting an amazing cause. Here’s a little bit about it from the website as written by Jasmine (one of the subjects):

Dealing with the scars of cancer has been a very important issue for me since my treatment ended. I have struggled with body image and the dilemma of explaining my physical appearance to strangers. I struggled so much with my scar that it affected my rehabilitation, as I just did not want to face it during my physiotherapy sessions. And so I saw a psychologist and she recommended I spend time normalising my scar, which lead to a timeline of emotions from first symptoms to the present day using my scar as the canvas. It was empowering and I hoped that others would do the same.

The aim of Scar Stories is to reveal what most young people keep hidden following cancer treatment; physical scars that remind them of a grim, painful experience. The purpose of the exhibition is three-fold: to raise public consciousness of adolescent and young adult cancer, to raise funds for CanTeen – a non-government organisation dedicated to supporting young people affected by cancer, and to help young survivors see their scars and experiences in a different light; one that is empowering and beautiful.

You can find more information here at the official website. I’ve already had a sneak peek and almost cried because it’s so moving. Do yourself a favour and check it out.