Zeph's solo art exhibition titled Pharmakeia, opened at the Vanderelli Room and explored medical justice, chronic illness, and bodily autonomy through vivid self-portraits.
ZEPH's Artist Statement:
I think of my work as my children, children that I was never able to have because my diseased body took that option from me. Pulling inspiration from my trauma archives and present conditions, my work explores parts of the self and themes that are societally considered taboo: addiction, mental illness, incarceration, self-harm, medical injustice, and the grief that comes with being chronically ill, and having no control over your body. These pieces encapsulate the myriad of emotions and the loss of dignity I have felt throughout the most traumatic times of my life, whether it be during my time in prison, active addiction, or trapped in the medical system.
Curatorial Statement:
Zeph is a formerly incarcerated, self-taught artist diagnosed with multiple chronic, debilitating diseases. They live and work from their bed/studio in Piqua, Ohio. Zeph is a member of The Returning Artists Guild and active in disabled and recovery communities. This is their first solo exhibition.
Zeph’s work deals directly and explicitly with issues around medical justice for people who have biologically female bodies. New diagnoses, new symptoms, endless bizarre medical tests, and lack of access to necessary medicine and interventions have become fuel for the artist. Zeph’s lived experience manifests through the creation of vivid, graphic, even hallucinatory self-portraits that document their journey through many distinct and interconnected hells.
Zeph’s bent toward highlighting the humorous in the obscene challenges both the status quo and the socially taboo. The medical, insurance, and prison industrial complexes are on full blast… along with the body, our bodies, Zeph’s body. These paintings are more than a sign of the times or some niche critique, they invite personal reflection and herald the call of advocacy and freedom for all. Welcome to Zeph’s Pharmakeia, I hope you all “get well.”
-Aimee Wissman
This is a RAG-hosted event.
