This body of work is an expression of my experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder, specifically, ‘contamination OCD’, which leads me to obsess over contracting an illness or spreading germs. At 7 years old, the fear of becoming sick abruptly held a grip on my daily tasks, social interactions, and physical well-being. Desperate to find a way to cope, I developed habits or ‘compulsions’ to ease my symptoms. These ranged from avoiding certain individuals who were ‘contaminated’ to washing my hands over 50 times a day.

This mode of creating literally creates a pause, forcing me to take note of what is actual versus what is fantastical or imagined. The red string dynamically acts as the malfunctioning neuro-pathways firing in my brain. I mentally track my own contact with objects as well as review the actions of every human I lay my eyes on to calculate the point of pollution. The string connecting the two works symbolizes the suffering of compulsions (i.e. excessive handwashing, etc) being the very thing that eases my survival. Reframing my disorder into something absurd allows me to ease my mind and enhance my quality of life.