The Smiley Cut

“The Smiley Cut” is a visual chronicle of my journey through cancer treatment. The photographic medium provided an outlet for me to navigate the stages of grief and confront the transformative journey my body was undertaking. Through these images, I reclaimed a measure of control over my physicality.

While time seemed to stretch infinitely a tranquil refuge emerged in the nearby forest by my home - Safjället. This serene landscape became my sanctuary. I ran and walked multiple times. I met there with friends, photographed it, and made it part of my journey.

The loop I was running every day signified to me the circularity of chemotherapies and the side effects that my body was racing to overcome. The Safjälgatan´s sign was the view of the beginning and the end of every run I did. In this work the public becomes private and the private public needs expression and connection through empathy and vulnerability.