sarah davis

What does it mean to be ‘renewed’ or ‘rebirthed’? What does ‘recovery’ truly entail? These enigmatic concepts are the creative tenants for artist Sarah Davis’ practice. Currently pursuing an MFA in Fine Arts at Goldsmiths University, her practice embraces a melange of wood carving, gilding, sound collage and poetry, leading a creative expedition on her Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis and the curative treatments she received.

Committed to a year-long treatment period in 2017, Sarah received chemotherapy, radiotherapy and an autologous stem cell transplant - a medical procedure whereby stem cells are harvested from a cancer patient’s blood or bone marrow before cell-killing treatments. These cells are frozen and stored until they can be safely infused back into the body, allowing the immune system to recover. 

Raising its inquisitive lens, The Poorly Project had the pleasure of investigating Sarah's creative universe and how, eight years post-diagnosis, her practice continues to shape her understanding of malignancy.