Named “Drawn Out: Lines Beyond the Limen”, the exhibition is curated by University of Brighton graduate and founder of the Sussex Cancer Art and Research (S.C.A.R.) collective, Markus Taylor.
The exhibition aims to provide a platform for artists living with or affected by cancer.
It features new works produced within the newly-formed collective, exploring how art can represent and process the reality of the disease.
Mr Taylor, a fine art master’s graduate, was diagnosed in 2021 with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) on the same day he was offered a study place at the University of Brighton.
Throughout his two-year course, Mr Taylor was subject to a watch and wait period, during which he turned to art to express his trauma and exhaustion.
One part of the exhibit sees red lines made from Mr Taylor’s own cancerous blood, symbolising his diagnosis.
“The fragility, resilience and complexity of living with cancer” are all aspects he aims to highlight through this.
Mr Taylor said: “Drawn Out is intensely personal for me, not only because it brings together artists affected by cancer, but because a part of my own journey is physically embedded in the work.
“Using my cancerous blood as a medium was a way of confronting the reality of my diagnosis head-on.
He added: “With S.C.A.R., my aim is to build a community where artists affected by cancer don’t have to navigate their journeys alone.
“This exhibition is just the beginning. I want to create a space where people can share not only their work, but the emotional realities behind it, the physical changes, the mental strain, the small victories.”
Amy Cunningham, course leader of MA fine art at the University of Brighton said: “Working with Markus and the S.C.A.R. collective has been an inspiring reminder of the power art has to hold, process and communicate lived experience.”
The free exhibition is running from Tuesday December 2 to Friday December 5 at the Dorset Place Gallery in Dorset Place, Kemp Town, Brighton.
