ARTIST vs. MS

A black and white portraiture project telling the story of Estonian artist Margus Elts, who, despite living with Multiple Sclerosis, continues to create...

Multiple Sclerosis, often called MS, is a condition that affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. It happens when the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers, causing communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. This can lead to various symptoms like fatigue, weakness, numbness, and difficulty with coordination and balance. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and it can be managed with treatments to help control symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. The latest estimation of the total number of people with MS was 2.8 million globally. The availability of treatments that modify the course of MS started in the 1990s. The available treatments can reduce relapses and slow progression, but as of 2025 there is no cure.

With the following documentary black and white portraiture project I'd like to tell a story about Margus Elts - an artist from Estonia that was diagnosed with MS in 2001.

He describes it as following: "The disease had damaged my body a lot and I was not able to stand. So I was forced to find other ways to express my creativity and artistic ambitions. That was the start of my journey towards painting. Without any formal art education I started experimenting on my own. First with acrylic colors and small canvases, and then slowly progressed to oil paintings and larger works. Over the last ten years I have produced a couple of hundred paintings on everyday life. For me painting is both a passion and away to earn a livelihood. I would like to say that MS has not stopped me from doing what I love. There are three main things that give me strength and energy.

• My art

• I'm still DJing because it gives me even more vitality.

• My lovely daughter, who is my angel and who gives me the strength and positiveness to go on.

What else helps me is the thought that the frame I live in does not change the positive and strong soul that lives in this body with a swing. I, as a soul, am still the same whole collection of energy."

Each photo's caption contains the information about the common MS symptoms, both visible and invisible.