Eileen Powers talks about looking at an issue from all sides and how artists are problem solvers. I love how she applies this both physically to the engineering feat of creating hair out of all kinds of materials and metaphorically to the challenge of adjusting to big changes and getting through and talking about hard things like illness and death. She also talks about embracing differences and finding joy in even the most difficult situations. There is so much in her project and in this conversation that is super applicable to the many challenges facing us here in the U.S. and across the world today.
I really appreciate how vulnerable she was in sharing her continued struggles with her adjusting identity. That message to accept ourselves is so powerful, but also very difficult to embody. My tiny bit of advice is to start wherever you can, just like we try to do with our students: meet them where they are. Meet yourself where you are. Maybe that means just taking a deep breath every time you catch yourself in negative internal self talk. The more strides we can make on both embracing ourselves and embracing the differences we see in others, the better we can model this for students.
Eileen Powers is an artist, photographer, graphic designer, and cancer survivor. She was living on Cape Cod and working as a freelance graphic designer when she received her lymphoma diagnosis. From that moment on her life changed and would never be the same.
In January 2019 she began a rigorous chemotherapy regimen. After the second treatment, her hair began to fall out and she just decided to shave the rest off. The change was frightening. It took six weeks before she could look in the mirror. But when she did, she became oddly fascinated. She saw a blank slate, a clean sheet of paper, and the potential for an art project. In the past she’d run after people who looked different and asked to take their picture. Now, she was that person.
When people started to drop off casseroles and pot roasts (which she couldn’t eat), she had an idea. Why not take all of that energy and funnel it into something positive. She invited friends and family to make hair for her out of surprising materials which she then styles and photographs into a series of humorous and colorful self-portraits. At the time of this writing, Eileen has nearly one-hundred heads. She has been interviewed and asked to show her work in galleries and exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad.
Eileen currently lives on Cape Cod and returned to the Lesley University MFA program in June 2020, after a 2-year cancer hiatus.
@canyoumakehair on instagram
Can You Make Hair for Me? video
@CanYouMakeHairForMe on Facebook
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