Scissors and scalpels cut through old realities so new ones can emerge.A scar left to remind of youth.

An open wound left to keep me aware, to care deeply. Life is ever flowing: not easy, not always bringing smiles.

It brings pain, fear, illness, hardship, and abrupt changes of reality.

I embrace them. I turn them into art, so to remember what was, and to more gently accept what is now. I observe. I adjust. I learn new ways, new skills. I get acquainted with my new self.

This is life for me. The smile returns when I manage to say yes and take one more step.

In early 2025 I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. This artwork is a self portrait collage and belongs to the ongoing Side Effects Project (since 2005). Motion light painting photography collage, abstract, experimental self-portrait. One long-exposure shot, manually edited on computer.

Entry for the ICONÆ - The Scissors✂️ event by @CinziaGabrielPH

©Christina Savvatianou - Plektani Art