Unfolding the Invisible:
Autoimmue Narratives

Autoimmune disorders often manifest through invisible symptoms, and their unpredictable flare‑ups make symptom management and requests for accommodations particularly nuanced. These conditions reshape personal and professional relationships, altering one’s sense of identity through new limitations on energy and capacity.

 

Since being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder several years ago, I have visually examined my experiences of navigating illness.

 

In my creative process, I incorporate household items — especially materials headed for the trash, such as brown lunch bags, a torn T‑shirt, and old bedsheets — transforming them into objects of meaning. This act of transformation mirrors the process of grieving what felt like my body turning into a wasteland, while exercising the determination to preserve my sense of self in an invisible fight.

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In the United States, 24 million people — primarily women — live with some form of autoimmune disorder. Yet research and understanding remain limited, resulting in misdiagnoses, prolonged delays in receiving treatment and support, and financial strain due to medical costs and insufficient workplace accommodations. Through this project, I aim to raise awareness about the realities of living with autoimmune conditions and to explore what it takes to make wellness more attainable.