Reconstructed Self is a new collaborative photographic series exploring memory, impermanence, resilience, and healing, shaped by my recovery from a rare cancer. Inspired by Polish songwriter Marek Grechuta’s 1971 song Ocalić od zapomnienia (To Save from Oblivion), the project reflects on how we remember, what we conceal, what we reveal, and how photography can preserve the parts of ourselves we refuse to let disappear.
Drawing on the Japanese philosophy of kintsugi – the art of repairing broken pottery with gold or lacquer to celebrate, rather than conceal, its fractures – the work embraces the idea that repair becomes part of an object’s history. Rather than returning something to its original state, kintsugi acknowledges that experiences of damage and healing can create new forms of beauty, strength, and resilience.
Building on my earlier project Under the Floorboards, Reconstructed Self combines hundreds of individual photographs to create large-scale portraits. Each portrait is printed on archival paper, deliberately torn apart, and carefully reconstructed by hand. This process of fragmentation and repair reflects the emotional and physical realities of recovering from illness and adapting to a life that has been irrevocably changed.
Through this collaborative body of work, Reconstructed Self seeks to create a space for conversation about vulnerability, identity, resilience, and the ongoing process of rebuilding oneself. It asks how we carry our scars, how they shape us, and how photography can become a witness to both loss and transformation.
If you have lived experience of cancer, chronic illness, or another significant life-changing event, I warmly invite you to participate in Reconstructed Self. By sharing your story and taking part in the photographic process, you will contribute to a collective exploration of healing, resilience, and the many ways we reconstruct ourselves.
To express your interest or learn more about the project, please get in touch via the contact form.
