On the ceiling of the booth are the hand-painted strings. It’s a literal self-portrait of who I am as a person and an artist. It’s a nod to overcoming my struggles.especially in this city because Venice is not ADA (The Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant by any means. I have wonderful artists assisting me - dragging my wheelchair over all of the bridges. And I have been literally crawling in my Airbnb. We’ve also built a ramp into the piece so people, ideally, can go into it if they’re in a wheelchair. Q: If you could leave one imprint in Venice, as a direct result of a visitor spending time in “Letterale,” what would it be? I want people to know that you can come back from a catastrophic, tragic thing in your life and still continue to live as you were before.
When I first got out of the hospital, I kept hearing what a source of inspiration I was for people. But the more I thought about it, I realized it wasn’t about me - it was about them. If my story and my work can encourage them to persevere in spite of the challenges in their lives, I think that’s the most I could hope for.Ī: One of the reasons I decided to participate in this exhibition, apart from the prestige it confers on artists, was because I’ve always wanted to see Venice.
