“A Badge of Honor” was created as part of a series of pieces about Emily, who I was originally connected with through the “Brushes with Cancer” program. Emily, a stage 4 cancer warrior, so bravely shared with me her experience of her diagnosis and treatment. 

After a phone conversation with Emily in September 2019, I proposed making another piece about the different healing phases that she went through, making a reference to the scar and lymphedema which are a result of surgery and subsequent 7 weeks of radiation. At which point, she proposed casting her face at her current phase. Capturing a moment in time with an uncertain future.

I have never felt so vulnerable making a piece of artwork in my life, researching different casting materials, and making sure that she felt comfortable throughout the process. Emily, finding her lymphedema disfiguring, with a visible change in the face and neck after surgery and radiation, was also extremely vulnerable in deciding to have such a delicate area of her body cast. Despite all of this, she was so accommodating, and willing to experiment. Together we were able to continue with an art series bringing awareness to a topic that is not normalized in every day conversation, even though cancer has impacted the lives of so many people.

The finished work of art is the result of a collaboration that displays that our experiences in life are what makes us beautiful. Along Emily’s neck where her scar is located, is a spontaneously brushed vine of flowers. A representation of growth, transformation, and a worth that goes beyond beauty. This is contrasted by imagery of the night sky, a symbol that as humans we are all connected, and a part of something greater than ourselves alone. The four castings reference the stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and are displayed in opposite directions that challenge perspective and the way we view life. Her sharing provided in me a purpose to create, and connecting with each other we can provide healing and growth, together taking life as it comes and continuing to stay optimistic.