Richard Lewer Richard’s medical disasters

This self-portrait documents my medical history and the experience of inhabiting this body. My work frequently explores vulnerability and personal history by bringing to light topics that may be considered taboo or seen as oversharing. I am not seeking sympathy or pity. The confessional and humorous nature of the painting is a way for me to override any shame or stigma of talking about my health.

Placing these intimate and sometimes embarrassing personal histories and experiences in the public domain is both cathartic and empowering for me as an artist, and hopefully this work prompts audiences to share and examine their own bodily histories.

Richard Lewer, 2023