A Medicated Body and The Memory Box (2019)

A Medicated Body and The Memory Box are two conjoined sculptures symbolising together a struggle against medication stigma. A common stigmatism against taking western medication comes from the idea that it’s unnatural to take medication for illnesses less visible than others; these are often known as unseen disabilities and include chronic pain illnesses and mental health issues. An idea that has been commonly presented to me as someone with unseen disabilities, is that I should not be taking ‘unnatural’ medications and instead should be using nature as a medicine, by hiking through the woods and putting my bare feet in the grass or self medicating with recreational drugs with evidence behind them being medicinal. Whilst natural medicines are important to me, something I’m educated on and something I definitely use and seek out, I cannot make my medicine without I take my medication.