Desire Lines

“Desire Lines” explores resilience and beauty within disability, chronic illness, and trauma through raw photography and interviews, celebrating unique abilities and challenging stereotypes with empathy, strength, and inclusivity.

As an emerging artist and writer, I am driven by the desire to highlight the raw strength and resilience found within communities navigating life with both visible and invisible disabilities. My work challenges socially constructed views of disability by shifting the focus from limitations to abilities.

My passion has always been helping people—listening to their stories, understanding their struggles, and supporting them in their growth. This drive has only deepened through my own experiences, transitioning from an international elite athlete to a woman who has undergone over 11 invasive surgeries, spent countless hours in rehabilitation learning to walk again, and still occasionally relies on a walking aid. I have spent years as an outpatient at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, navigating the complexities of chronic illness while striving to maintain financial autonomy as both a mother and a woman. These experiences have shaped my perspective, reinforcing my belief in the power of resilience and transformation.

Through raw photography and short installations, I seek to capture the depth of human expression, the power of lived experience, and the stories of those who continuously adapt and persevere. Each image or installation invites viewers to reconsider their perspective, to engage with the world through the eyes of those who live it differently, and to see the beauty in adaptation, strength, and difference.

I am particularly interested in exploring the emotional layers of resilience—moments of defiance, quiet strength, and vulnerability—while creating space for authentic representation. My goal is to disrupt narratives that diminish the disabled experience and instead celebrate it for what it truly is: a unique, vital, and often overlooked perspective on the human condition. Through my work, I hope to not only tell these stories but also provide a platform for others to feel seen, heard, and valued.

Desire Lines

Invite participants to collaborate with me in creating a powerful visual and sensory exploration of ability and resilience within the disabled, chronic illness and medically disadvantaged community, people that have suffered great pain. Through raw photography and, where possible, short interviews or motion-based visual pieces, I aim to capture and celebrate the beauty of disability, diversity, the ability—not as something to overcome but as something that embodies strength, adaptability, and unique expression

“Desire Lines” is an exploration of unique abilities in a world that often views medically misunderstood, people with scars as liabilities rather than assets to our wider community. Through this body of work, I aim to challenge and redefine the boundaries imposed between what is considered a “normal” functioning human in Western society and the disabled cohort, medically misunderstood, medically disadvantaged and trauma survivors —many have been largely displaced and overlooked despite their immense wisdom and valuable contributions. I believe our society has much to learn from these perspectives, and this project seeks to bring those insights to the forefront.

Each participant will have full autonomy over how they are represented. The process will be entirely holistic and tailored to each individual’s comfort, abilities, and desires. My strength lies in working intuitively, ensuring that every story told and image captured reflects the authentic experience of the person in front of the lens. For some, that may be a quiet portrait highlighting a small but significant gesture. For others, it could be a powerful display of movement, speech, or action that speaks to their lived experience.

If participants are willing, I would love to incorporate interviews to create short video pieces that support the images, bringing in voice and movement to deepen the narrative. My goal is to provide a platform for people to express who they truly are—celebrating their bodily and cognitive attributes in a way that challenges stereotypes and showcases the strength in diversity. This project aims not only to document but to elevate and empower, offering new ways for audiences to connect with and understand disability through an intimate and respectful lens.

I will primarily use a camera in a private studio at Fremantle Arts Center as a part of my artist residency to cultivate the project. I will also incorporate video and simple props as needed to support the creative process. The core of my project is not just the act of capturing images but investing time in the people who choose to participate. The location has wheelchair access.

Creating a safe, accessible, and welcoming environment is central to my practice. My priority is to ensure that each individual can feel heard, seen and respected so we can collaborate to share what the world needs most, rich deep meaningful lived wisdom that culminates into strength and resilience.