WORLD ART DAY 2022
In celebration of World Art Day 2022, ITSAN is proud to feature the work of ten artists from around the world who have experienced TSW. The impact of TSW on the mind, body and spirit of TSW sufferers and caregivers can not be fully expressed in words. We thank each artist for the opportunity to feel and to be understood.
Art by Sofia Anastassiou
California, USA
“In August I got red sleeves and had no idea what was happening to my body until I found your website, Dr. Heba Khaled’s explanation video and Briana Banos’ documentary. I remember how I felt like I finally had an explanation for what was happening to my skin, and felt so much relief. I’m currently 7 months in TSW, but I’m certain I went through it before without knowing as many of us do. I’m slowly getting better, I’m currently in the oozing stage of my neck and it’s been rough.” -Sofia Anastassiou @sofianotes (Instagram)
Art & poetry by Sasha Bailey
Cornwall, England
“I have been going through TSW for almost a year and a half now and art has really played a huge part in helping me to feel normal and helping me feel like I can actually accomplish something. I wrote a poem about TSW and I have been painting recently. I will share both the poem and some artwork I’m proud of. Thank you always for bringing the community together in hard times.” -Sasha Bailey
Art by Alivia Williams
England
“I’m 15 months TSW, I’m definitely not healed yet but it’s gotten a lot easier.” -Alivia Williams @aliviawilliams_x (Instagram)
Art by Sasha (@sashibot)
Netherlands
“Posters for the TSW March in London (March 26, 2022) and a drawing.”
-Sasha
Art by Jemma Pace
South Australia
“Here is my self portrait artwork – me during my TSW struggles.”
-Jemma Pace
Art by Aramide Onashoga
United Kingdom
“My Atopic Skin Portrait (2019) – Human Skin on Acrylic”
“Louise King Face on Fire (2020)”
“Louigi face parted like the red sea (2021)”
“The human skin portrait is made from my shedding TSW skin – it is about two years worth of skin from the worst. Art during TSW created a safe focus that allowed me to see beyond my current suffering at the time.” -Aramide Onashoga
More details can be found here: https://www.myatopicskin.co.uk/artwork
Art by The Silent Kah
Minnesota, USA
“This is some of my art and (images from) the grassroots drive by art show I created to raise awareness for Topical Steroid Withdrawal. It will be the 3rd year!!!” -The Silent Kah
Art by Juliana Cuellar
Columbia
“I am a photographer and publish most of my work here:
Regarding my skin, I was also documenting my TSW journey here: @juliana.en.cuarentena (Instagram)
I got to month two without using any topic or oral steroids, but had to go back to them since I developed a skin infection, and after going to several dermatologists they all told me that the only way they could regenerate my skin was by taking oral steroid pills that they would later wean me off slowly, plus applying steroid cream in the worst affected areas. So my skin has greatly improved due to steroids but I am in the process of gently stopping their use (and hopefully getting on Dupilumab/Dupixent soon!) In the first months of no topical steroid use, your website was SO useful and important to me (and today it still is).” -Juliana Cuellar
Art by Sasha
California, USA
“this painting was in my head for a bit; true story. i was visiting my grandparents in 2018 probably 8 or 9 months into my withdrawal…i had to take a flight (they live in canada, i live in california). traveling with tsw as you all know is so challenging. my skin was burning, flaking, bleeding, i could not stop itching. but my family had decided to go on vacation and it was important for me to go and see my grandparents who i very rarely see. one day during the trip they all decided to go horseback riding. we went on horses together through the forest, it was stunning, a beautiful warm day, a magical path. i had wanted to ride a horse for a long time, i think i hadn’t done so since i was a young kid. so i was heartbroken to be doing this fun thing, surrounded by so much beauty, sunbeams, fresh air, fiddlehead ferns, everything glowing, my sweet mother on a horse behind me, and my lovely sister on a horse in front of me, and to be suffering so intensely at the same time, i felt like i couldn’t fully appreciate all the beauty around me because my nerves were firing so strongly. uncontrollably scratching and flaking as i sat on my horse, my anxiety was so intense. salty sweat stung…and the horse dander was activating my allergies. i survived…anyway. here’s me on my horse, on fire in the luminescent green forest.” -sasha
image: watercolor painting on notebook paper
my art: @sl33py_1 (instagram)
my tsw journey: @tswdragon94 (instagram)
Art by Olivia Murray
United Kingdom
“Face – styled by steroids”
“Who am I?”
“The ‘good’ hand”
“Trapped in TSW”
