YOU LOOK TIRED | Megan Young

“This work is a form of self portrait created by collaging my painting with a photographic 'selfie,' then integrating them with digital tools. The combination of techniques allows for a temporal and expressive depth that can significantly aid the telling of illness narratives. ‘You Look Tired’ represents the difficulty of wanting to look well while being deeply unwell, of the effort it takes to mask both pain and exhaustion combined with the hurt caused by the casual remarks from others that only undermine and highlight the futility of these efforts. This piece was created as part of a body of larger works created for a PhD thesis.”

Megan Young is an academic interested in the intersections of art and science, particularly in the field of health and chronic illness. She utilizes creative techniques in her research as a narrative tool to bring depth and evocative connection to her work as she believes they are an important way to promote both understanding and epistemic justice for the lived experience of chronic illness, hidden stories of self that may otherwise be difficult to share.

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