Ruby Smedley expresses the pain of chronic illness through art
Art is often a way for us to express ourselves. For Australian maker Ruby Smedley, it’s a way to reflect on her experience of endometriosis and create conversation about the illness.
Inflamed (a tender thing) | Photography by @nick___fitzpatrick
Like many with endometriosis – a chronic illness that impacts 1 in 10 people who were assigned the label female at birth – it took seven years for Ruby to receive her diagnosis.
“Endometriosis is often referred to as an invisible chronic illness and this is true in so many ways – not just physically, but emotionally, medically and socially,” she shares. “In the beginning, it was subconscious – I was going through the process of getting medical help for my symptoms and inevitably a prognosis. It felt like a lot very quickly and I wanted to express what felt undefinable.”
For the month of September, Ruby was an artist in residence at REmida, a not-for-profit that collects industrial discards from shops and factories around Perth for people to repurpose. The artist in residence is invited to make work and experiment with these materials.
Support (unclench and be held) | Photography by @nick___fitzpatrick
Spent (enough for today, today is enough) | Photography by @nick___fitzpatrick
Ruby says it was a great challenge to have these materials guide her work, which took the form of a series of soft sculptures.
In each piece, the artist takes a symptom, experience or feeling, considers how it relates to a part of the body – what it would look like as a shape or texture – and combines these aspects to make something that can be worn or held.
“The way it feels when you engage with it is also important. Should it feel awkward or cumbersome? Impede movement? Should it have weight or not?” says Ruby. The texture of the fabric is also considered: “Should it be made with a comforting soft fabric, dense or transparent?”
Adhesions | Photography by @nick___fitzpatrick
“I hope these works create a conversation that isn’t just a sombre tone, but brings a sense of lightness to the discussion.”
It is, of course, a challenge for such a personal experience to be presented in art form, but Ruby hopes that anyone who comes across the work will learn something new, gain a greater understanding of endometriosis, or simply enjoy their experience with the sculptures.
“Chronic illness often feels like a paradox, so I hope these sculptures accurately reflect that. In the beginning of seeking help, everything about endo felt so serious, so although these sculptures are about something that has a huge impact on people’s lives and the ones around them, I hope people can also see the humour in them and be able to engage with them. I hope these works create a conversation that isn’t just a sombre tone, but brings a sense of lightness to the discussion. When you know you’ll be living with illness your whole life, you need to be able to talk about it in different ways.”
As an artist, this has been a positive way for Ruby to come to terms with her diagnosis of the chronic illness: “It’s helped me to work through the changes, as well as the things I’ve had to come to terms with that are permanent. It has given me an avenue to have more clarity and a better understanding of what I’m experiencing. By giving a specific symptom or experience a physical shape, it can feel more manageable.”
“When you know you’ll be living with illness your whole life, you need to be able to talk about it in different ways.”
Weary | Photography by @nick___fitzpatrick
Perth, Australia
