Eat.

Charcoal and Conte on Drawing Paper
18x24

December 2021

This piece reflects on my battle with disordered eating throughout most of my teenage years. I wanted to capture the idea of how the mundane task of eating seemed like this intimidating, monumental obstacle that disrupted my daily routine. The close perspective and hyper rendered details mirror the obsessive preoccupation I had with the thought of eating. In the top right of the spoon there is an ambiguous shadow that can be interpreted as the silhouette of my reflection on the surface of the spoon. 

More than just reflection, I wanted to celebrate my overcoming of this challenging and traumatic experience. My eating disorder no longer has control over me. In recovery, I would repeat the phrase “eat.” in my head with every bite, almost in an instructional way to distract from any negative emotions that arose.

This drawing was challenging for a multitude of reasons, both skill-based and emotionally. In the 20 hours I devoted to this piece, I’ve grown so much as an artist and a person. 

Please remember you and your body are deserving of unconditional compassion. Eating is more than an act of survival. It is an act of enjoyment, culture, health, wellbeing, community, and more.