With these artworks, Gina seeks to confront viewers who might otherwise look away from her Survival series. First conceived in 2003 while creating her Senior project for graduation, she had the idea to photograph her nude torso, freshly healed post-lifesaving surgery, and use an essay format for the title. Her advisor agreed with this idea and placed the enlarged, larger-than-life Black and White photo of a scarred body at the gallery exit, thus forcing visitors to encounter the body before leaving the show. The artwork was hung at eye level; there was no looking away. 

Similarly, these two images, shot in 2019 in Japan and the USA, have both been printed at A2 size (42 cm x 59.5 cm), making the featured body parts larger than life-sized. 

Rinde (‘Tree Bark,’ German), August 18, 2024, focuses on the arm of a young woman, healed after years of cutting as multiple acts of self-harm. By 2019, this woman had been in recovery for a few years, making the scars lighter, lower, and softer than they had been. This piece turned into a celebration of hard work paid off. Gina is so proud of her for how far she has come and is so happy with how this turned out. 

As ever, broken is beautiful; our scars tell a story that deserves veneration, and the artist believes this woman is on her second life.

Mixed media: art panel, archival CMYK print, chiyogami and washi paper, acrylic paint, gouache.

Samaritan, August 20, 2024, is an image of a man’s torso with a long, backwards-L-shaped scar that goes down towards his belly button. This man donated an organ to a total stranger, and this scar saved someone else’s life. It’s a beautiful story, and Gina appreciates her friend’s trust in her to allow her to take the photo and share his story.

A1: 59.4 x 84.1 cm
Mixed Media: Art panel, archival CMYK print, chiyogami and washi paper, acrylic paint, gouache, gilding flakes, gel medium.