My mom is sending some of her embroidery work to be considered for an exhibition and just sent me her latest piece. She has early onset dementia (she's in her 50s) and epilepsy, and she made this as a visual representation of her brain 💕 pic.twitter.com/Hm95JEohCx
— Charlotte (@CharlTaylorPage) May 7, 2023
When we’re healthy, we don’t have to think about what is failing in our bodies. After all, part of being healthy is not having to constantly consider what is ailing us; everything is working as it should. But when someone is diagnosed with a terminal disease, they have no choice but to consider the part of their body that is in trouble—it can affect every aspect of their life. A Twitter user named Charlotte shared how her mom, who has early-onset dementia and epilepsy, thinks about her brain. Her mom used embroidery to create a visual representation of how her own brain looks to her.
The resulting piece gives color to what could be considered dark, as these are serious conditions. Charlotte’s artist mom has created sections of the brain using vibrant jewel-toned hues and a variety of stitching along with materials including beading. Together, they produce an assortment of textures. There are portions of the embroidery where threads cross over one another, while layered beads offer dimensionality to the overall design. Each section is varied—be it in color, stitching, or materials—demonstrating how parts of the brain look different but together act as one.
There is a feeling of hopefulness to this piece. While Charlotte’s mom is dealing with serious neurological issues, she appears to view her brain as a place of beauty and cherishes what she has now.
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