I met the young woman in this painting through her ‘private account’. She was suffering terribly from severe Anxiety Disorder and Dermatillomania (which is a repetitive, compulsive picking of ones own skin). In public she was quite effective in hiding her disorders with long sleeves, scarves and makeup, and by limiting her social interactions with coworkers and acquaintances. But on her private page she was very open about her condition; no makeup, no fake smiles; but instead she posted photos and videos of the true reality of her daily torments.
I contacted her and commended her for her strength and honesty and asked permission to paint portrait (as her real self). initially she said no, but upon further discussion she agreed. She wanted to be seen as a “real person”, as she said “I am a human, the same as any other. I just happen to be sick.” I did the painting by taking a screenshot from a photograph she posted of herself. One second of her personal hell froze in time. In my resulting photo I saw not just disorder but also healing and a great bravery. Healing in the sense that I could only feel that by her having the courage to post the video was a step in her process to wellness.

'During her residency at Proyecto´ace –from August 4 to 29, 2025–, Valerie Downs developed her series La Precaria, working on handmade craft papers by tearing, perforating, and threading them with unconventional materials such as her own hair, deer hair, feathers, earth, and rust. Her practice—which she herself has compared to a “Lazy Susan,” in which different parts of herself generate varied creative expressions—questions the notion of “normal” materials by exploring what we are, laden with memory, fragility, and intimate pulsations.