Healing art: show looks at the dual nature of the cancer experience
The month of October is dedicated to both World Mental Health Day and Breast Cancer Awareness and Early Diagnosis and to approach the topic, the Breast Centre of Cyprus is hosting an all-day event on October 22. Included in the day’s agenda is an exhibition by artist and art therapist Eleni Petridou Bouriti titled Healing Arts that touches on the physical and emotional care of people with cancer experiences.
Eleni’s exhibition offers a platform to highlight issues related to the multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer treatment and the therapeutic role of art. In her new series of works, Eleni draws inspiration from the diagnostic services of the Breast Centre of Cyprus while exploring her journey of healing and processing the trauma caused by the loss of a loved one to cancer. Through her art, she expresses the emotions associated with loss, healing, and empowerment.
“As an artist and art psychotherapist,” she says, “through my daily engagement with visual arts, I try to translate my personal or professional life concerns and thoughts into visual forms. My artistic work, as a social tool, aims to raise public awareness and help people see art as a medium that facilitates connection between individuals, a channel for processing and healing personal wounds, reflection, relief and even hope.”
Digital mammography techniques, ultrasound and medical tools used at the Breast Center take on symbolic dimensions through Eleni’s work. Her mixed-media techniques blend these materials into a narrative reflecting the power of prevention and regeneration.
The artworks in the exhibition highlight the fragility and sensitivity of the human body and spirit experiencing breast cancer. Through the use of materials that mirror medical care, such as gauze and bandages as well as glass and light, the artist captures the delicacy of the human condition during moments of vulnerability.
At the same time, these works illuminate the strength and resilience that emerge through care and solidarity. The interaction between materials and themes touching on prevention, the psychosomatic aspect of the cancer experience symbolise humanity’s ability to find strength and hope through the support and care of others. The transformation of pain and uncertainty into creation, as depicted in these works, is a powerful representation of the healing power of art and human consciousness.
The exhibition serves as a space where visitors can reflect on the dual nature of the cancer experience: on one side, the fragility and isolation it causes, and on the other, the collective strength and solidarity that can be born from this experience.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the exhibition’s artworks will help launch a pilot programme for research and implementation of group art psychotherapy sessions for women with cancer experiences.
And that’s not all. The Breast Centre of Cyprus organises a series of events to raise cancer awareness through creative activities, information-giving and psychological support. The public will be able to attend workshops, talks and another art exhibition titled Breast Cancer: From Diagnosis to Treatment. Do We Treat the Disease or the Patient? A Multidisciplinary Approach.
Healing Art
Art exhibition by art therapist Eleni Petridou Bouriti on the cancer experience. Organised by the Breast Centre of Cyprus. October 22-November 9. Breast Centre of Cyprus, Nicosia. Opening night: 6pm. Monday – Friday: 9am-5pm. Tel: 22-054545
