During my April 2026 Artist in Action Residency at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, I invited community members to share their experiences within the healthcare system through small paintings and handwritten stories. For four days, I listened, observed, and facilitated a space where people could feel seen, heard, and part of something larger than themselves.

Over the following three months, I transformed their contributions into one collective image: three hands meeting. The patient’s hand is composed of the community’s paintings and varied skin tones, while latex forms the hands of the medical professional.

I hand-traced each participant’s words onto the work before partially obscuring them. Though no longer fully legible, their stories remain embedded beneath the surface—a reflection of how easily a person can speak, be documented, and still not feel heard. The remaining fragments honor both their presence and their privacy.

My connection to healthcare is deeply personal. My family has faced significant medical challenges, and I underwent spinal surgery before the age of 30. This work transforms those experiences into something collective: a reminder that behind every chart, diagnosis, and interaction is a person with a story—and being documented is not the same as being heard.