The reclamation of the self through body modification is a project that is very close to my heart. My sister suffers from chronic pain and hypermobility, and I have seen first-hand its effects on her everyday life. I have yet to photograph her for this project but I’m working on it. Here I tell three stories of three individuals who suffer from chronic illnesses, and how body modification has helped them. Each story was crafted collaboratively with everyone involved and this included the interview and also how the images were made.
Due to the sensitive nature of the project I wanted to have a very strong focus on making sure that the subject was informed on as much of the project and its process as possible. I also ensured that any writing posted about them online was correct, as well as checking in on the subject's well-being during the shoots. It was important to me that they were comfortable and felt personally connected to the project and its outcome.
