Last month, if you had visited the Oculus World Trade Center Plaza in New York over the weekend of the 12th-15th then you would have seen the latest exhibition from Fine Art body painter Trina Merry. ‘This is Pain’ is a unique art series that was specifically designed to spread awareness of chronic pain by telling real stories from people suffering from the condition.
Bringing together the stories of eight real-life sufferers, the exhibition focused on revealing the usually unseen disease to the public conscience by painting these stories directly onto the skin of the participants. The eight contributors came from all walks of life and included a former Air Force veteran, hospital worker, mother, and an artist. Each person was able to tell a different tale of injury, however, each shared the same feelings of desperation and isolation that accompanies chronic pain.
Using a mix of body painting and photography, the deeply personal exhibition relayed how the pain feels for each of the eight participants by using visual representations such as color and shape. These metaphors were specifically designed to break down the stigmas attached to the disease, revealing the unseen and hidden disability in a clear and powerful way.
The unique pieces of art were displayed alongside video interviews with the eight participants, with each one relaying their own tales of pain and suffering. The humbling installation was created as a walk-through tunnel, allowing visitors to escape the outside world and explore the exhibition in depth.
With many people suffering from chronic pain every day, the ‘This is Pain’ exhibition is just the first step in helping to break down the taboos surrounding the disease and raise awareness. Although the exhibition is over, ‘This is Pain’ is continuing to raise awareness via the official website so to learn more, head over to https://www.thisispain.com/.