Jai peur anna revien

I employed charcoal and plaster in this early work to explore complex relationships with the body.

The personification of illness is made explicit through the accompanying Facebook post: I'm afraid Anna is coming back, referring to anorexia as a person. This post gives the illness a human presence, emphasising its invasive and recurring nature as though it were an unwelcome visitor. This depiction underscores the intrusive, haunting nature of eating disorders (EDs). EDs, particularly associated with women, are symptomatic of a society that constantly pushes the idea that you are never enough as you are.

Charcoal visually evokes the violence of the illness while also embodying its fragility. Its sharp, intense strokes capture the harshness of the experience, yet the medium itself is delicate—capable of being erased with a single touch. This tension between permanence and impermanence mirrors the emotional and physical vulnerability of those affected by the illness.

Through this work, I aimed to challenge and expose the internalised struggles many face within a culture obsessed with unattainable standards. The charcoal conveys both the raw intensity and the precariousness of living with EDs.