Endomorphosis is part of Metamorphosis, our ongoing research and development project in which we’ve been studying this global art form, from its ancient roots, to modern cultural form, to how body painting can be an empowering tool to boost well-being.
In March 2022 we brought together a group of 12 incredible women with Endometriosis and 8 local artists as part of Endometriosis Awareness Month. In these collaborative sessions participants shared their experiences and explored how body painting could best represent them and their stories. We finished the project with a day of body painting and captured some amazing and powerful images, which participants can hold onto forever.
Endometriosis (pronounced en- doh – mee – tree – oh – sis) is the name given to the condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body.
Each month these cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up and then breaking down and bleeding. Unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape.
In the UK, around 1.5 million women and those assigned female at birth are currently living with the condition, regardless of race or ethnicity. Endometriosis can affect you from puberty to menopause, although the impact may be felt for life.
– Endometriosis UK.
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ENDOMORPHOSIS
THE EXHIBITION
Join us from 4 February – 25 March 2023 at Gallery Oldham for our first Endomorphosis Exhibition. We'll be displaying 10 powerful images we captured in March 2022 + more!
Find out more here
The exhibition is in Gallery 4 which is free and open to the public.
We have found that art is the perfect tool to raise awareness, to be a catalyst for social change, and to support individuals’ own holistic well-being.
Through this project we:
> Brought women together. Forming friendships and building support networks so that participants are better able to live with Endometriosis in the future.
> Created beautiful art. Teaching people creative skills and boosting participants’ self-confidence.
> Raised awareness of Endometriosis to help women secure earlier diagnoses. We used art as a means to capture people’s attention. We then shared information about Endometriosis online and in person, with our local community, with healthcare professionals and with women with Endometriosis and those exploring a diagnosis.
WHY ENDOMETRIOSIS?
Endometriosis affects 10% of women from puberty to menopause, 1.5 million in the UK, and 176 million globally.
95% report Endometriosis impacting their well-being negatively or very negatively.
The average time for diagnosis is 8 years, despite 58% of women presenting with symptoms to their GP ten or more times, 53% at A&E, and 21% seeing doctors in hospital 10 or more times.
Source: All Party Parliamentary Group report on Endometriosis 2020
“Your whole body goes through so much and for me it led to negative thoughts and feelings about my body that became detrimental to my mental health and well-being.
Endometriosis is a whole-body disease, both physically and mentally, so I wanted to create a project which represented that. By delivering this project myself as an artist and painting a group of women who have been on a similar journey and seeing them transform was even more powerful than I could have imagined”
– Emily Wood (Artistic Director)
ENDOMETRIOSIS IS NOT AN INFECTION
ENDOMETRIOSIS IS NOT CONTAGIOUS
ENDOMETRIOSIS IS NOT CANCER
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METAMORPHOSIS
Endomorphosis is part of our ongoing research and development project into body painting called Metamorphosis. From studying the art form across the globe from its ancient roots and modern cultural forms, to how the body painting can become a tool for wellbeing and empowerment.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
This project is funded by:
