ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Moriah Faith
An expressive figurative painter based in Boston, her art is a powerful expression of her journey through chronic illness. Moriah has gained international recognition, including winning the Grand Prize at the Kennedy Center's National Young Emerging Artists competition in 2022. Learn more about MAn expressive figurative painter based in Boston, her art is a powerful expression of her journey through chronic illness. Learn more about Moriah and discover her captivating work available in our upcoming auction.
“I am a painter of people, feelings, and memories. My work focuses on conveying intense emotions through "abstracted realism" and exaggerated colors. Outside of my work in the studio, I am a teacher, art facilitator, mentor, and disability advocate. In 2022, I was awarded the grand prize from the Kennedy Center for emerging young artists with disabilities. In 2021, I lead the charge on a massive 7 x 14 ft painting project that brought large scale painting supplies to over 20 disabled adults living in residential care facilities.”
“I became serious about art after being diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis caused by a birth defect. I needed some way to express the pain I was going through, and I found painting to be an excellent means of communication while also acting as an effective coping mechanism. Additionally, I discovered that painting is a powerful means of pain management. When I slip into the "flow state" many artists talk about, painful hours seem to pass in minutes. Art has become my means of survival as I continue to struggle with my health.”
“Chronic pain has been described as mental and physical warfare on the body and drastically affects all areas of my life. While some assume chronic pain sufferers must get desensitized to pain, this is a misconception. Pain never stops hurting, you simply get better at hiding it. Not all disabilities are visible. As a young woman who "looks fine" on the outside, people have expressed their disbelief that I am ill at all. When someone shares information with you regarding their disability, the best thing you can do is believe them, know it's not an excuse, and treat them with care and gentleness.”
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@breathe.art
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MORIAH’S FEATURED ART
Before I Disappear
Oil on Paper. 13" x 10" (with frame).
“This self portrait is inspired by my experience with chronic illness and the psychological affect of living in pain. I was diagnosed at the age of twelve, and by the age of thirteen, I no longer recognized the person I saw in the mirror. Painting self portraits has enabled me to come back to myself while searching for beauty within illness.”
Just Eat
Oil on Paper. 13" x 10" (framed).
“This painting is apart of my series, "Self Portraits of a Stranger," inspired by my struggle with body dysmorphia after undergoing years of hospitalizations for my chronic illness. This particular work reflects on the challenges I've faced around eating due to gastrointestinal disease.”
Hard To Breathe
Oil on Paper. 13" x 10" (framed).
“This painting is apart of my series, "Self Portraits of a Stranger," inspired by my struggle with body dysmorphia after undergoing years of hospitalizations for my chronic illness. This particular work was painted after undergoing a series of six failed surgeries in a few months for my medical device, ultimately resulting in a staph infection. During this time I depended on medical interventions such as oxygen to keep me alive, so I included it in the self portrait. I lost more of myself every time I was faced with recovery from yet another painful surgery and no longer felt safe in my own body. This work is a reflection on those experiences and the intensity of persevering despite all of it.”