Invisible Scars

"don’t say it, don’t show it, don’t think it, don’t feel it… as if that makes it disappear,"

Despite the passing years, the impact of cervical cancer on self-esteem can still be made visible, but also the social and relationship taboos surrounding this experience. Through the images, I explore the narrative that dictates, "don’t say it, don’t show it, don’t think it, don’t feel it… as if that makes it disappear," as a way of silencing the pain, rendering it invisible to others. This imposed silence, however, does not erase the suffering or the emotional scars.

• Don’t say it: The social pressure not to speak about the internal pain, the physical and emotional scars that this disease can leave behind. The limited focus on the mouth emphasizes the containment of language and communication, capturing that moment when everything is kept inside, as if not speaking of it would make it disappear.

• Don’t show it: The body not only carries physical pain, but also the implicit mandate to "not show it." Silence and concealment, reflecting a subtle pressure both imposed and self-imposed to cover what hurts, to hide what no one wants to see—the visible and invisible scars.

• Don’t think it: The need for refuge, to hold myself in, introspection, the intimate and the deep. In this image, the "don’t think it" comes to life: the body closes in on itself, trying to hide the emotional weight, while the shadow on the wall reflects what cannot be controlled or suppressed. Here the internal conflict manifests, the struggle between feeling and repressing, thinking and trying to avoid thought.

• Don’t feel it: It is a fight to protect myself, to emotionally distance myself from what is visible and, ultimately, from what is inside of me. The window becomes a barrier between the outside world and me, reflecting the desire to avoid connection with what could cause me pain or sadness.

• …As if it doesn’t exist: There is no shyness, no doubt, only the raw reality of who I am, in front of those who observe me. Challenging the denial of emotional and physical scars. This is the final representation of my internal and external struggle, a conclusion that no longer allows for silences or concealment: what is not said, shown, or felt still exists, and here I am to face it.