“Then, Silence”
Sarah Dillon
Philadelphia, PA
Social Media: @scdillon83
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: The biggest takeaway from my personal cancer experience is that I learned to give myself grace and time to feel all the feelings as they are and when they come up. My treatment may be over, but my journey is not. I recognize that I am a different person than I was pre-leukemia diagnosis and treatment. I recognize that I loved that person and was grateful for that life while I was living it. In my new reality, I allow myself to continue being grateful while also giving myself space to grieve. I now move through space choosing myself a little more.
Laurel Rose Eng
Philadelphia, PA
www.laurelrose-art.com
Social media: @laurelro (Instagram)
“Then, Silence”
Acrylic, oil stick on stretched canvas
24” x 36” x 1.5”
$1,000
Artist Statement: My inspiration, Sarah Dillon, received a cancer diagnosis in early 2024: Acute Myeloid Leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. Healing came with confusion, brain bleed, infection, and all while she was (and continues to) manage Familial Hyperlipidemia, a genetic heart condition that she has in common with both of her sons. Needless to say, this period is marked by uncertainty and an overwhelming amount of change. Through it all, she had the relentless love and support of her children, her wife, family, and friends, who helped in myriad ways as she navigated the hospital system and the day-to-day. Even surrounded by that support, however, there was a quietness to her experience—a sense of existing within her own space while everything around her felt chaotic. All while making sense of what was happening and having to relinquish the autonomy and grind that she was used to. This painting represents the silence Sarah experienced within that chaos—the quiet, internal space that can exist even when you are surrounded by people who love and support you and want to care for you. Sometimes all we can do is surrender silently and become an observer, despite how much internal control we crave. I used color, movement, and negative space to explore the contrast between what was happening around her and what she was experiencing within herself. My process is instinctual and emotional, allowing color and movement to guide the painting rather than beginning with a fully defined image. For Sarah, that process felt especially fitting. The painting became less about illustrating her experience and more about creating a visual expression of something that can be difficult to put into words: the stillness and isolation that can exist in the middle of being deeply supported, and the confusion and tension that come with it.