“While being so sick I was also very embarrassed… almost like I had failed as a human,” – this confession by Carol Scavotto, a woman who successfully won over cancer, should give us all goosebumps. As a society, we are so past due to talk about all those wild atavisms such as fat-shaming, slut-shaming, body-shaming, age-shaming – you name it. We also have to admit that women suffer more than men because a woman is always expected to look young and ‘good’. That’s why when a woman gets into a health ordeal, it’s a double trouble for her to go through it, because women are inevitably judged by their look, again and again.

Along with that, when getting sick, or stressed out, or humiliated, or harassed, we often don’t want to bother our loved ones. And to carry this burden of stress on your own can also kill you.

Multimedia artist Carol Scavotto told us her autobiographical story of cancer surviving in her video piece currently on view at Gallery MC at RE:ARTISTE’s show, “Transformation”.

This is what Carol explains about her artwork titled “Going Blonde”:

“At my 1st oncologist meeting my doctor told me I would lose every bit of hair on my head and body within the first 10 day of beginning treatment, and I did.

I cut my brown hair into a short style and bought a wig that matched.

While being so sick I was also very embarrassed… almost like I had failed as a human.

My father was 97 years old and in the last year of his life, I could not tell him I had cancer so we had lunch every week as always. And every week, when my dad asked if I felt OK, I lied.

Publicly I put on the wig, makeup, nice clothes, and made my circle of friends follow my example and treat me as though nothing was wrong.

After finishing treatments my hair began to grow back Blonde!!!

Yes, this is my natural hair color.

This video was created to allow me to acknowledge, accept and release that year of my life.”

Carol Scavotto’s speaking at the Opening of the art show “Transformation”, RE:ARTISTE International Art Organization

At our chats with each other, the artist mentioned she had several wigs she had to have – to wear while she had cancer. Another artist suggested, “well, you can use those wigs as objects for your future art projects, if you fortunately do not need them any more for their original purpose. “I still can’t,” – Carol responded, – “I still need more time to be able to look at them and touch them again.”

Carol Scavotto’s video art is on view at Gallery MC through October 26. For more info please email info@reartiste.com // Natalie Burlutskaya, Curator, RE:ARTISTE International Art Organization

*Photo credit: Yu Chuan Chang