Victoria Renea

In January of 2021, at the age of 29, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I underwent a bilateral mastectomy, 16 rounds of chemotherapy and all the side effects that went with it. It was during this process, while it felt like every cell of my body was being destroyed- that I decided to create. My first painting was a slow, and well thought out labor of self preservation; though you probably wouldn't think that to look at it. 

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I carefully divided all the different parts of my treatment into different categories: blood draws, scans, surgeries, chemo treatments, etc. Each category was then assigned a color, and at the end of each month of active treatment I would paint the number of strokes of each color for each of those treatments I received. At the end of my active treatment I was left with a visual representation of my journey. One that no one could truly understand except for me. 

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It gave me something to look forward to, and a way to speak without trying to find words that never seemed to be enough when spoken. Thus my paint journaling began. My journey as an artist was born from the ashes of my pain. 

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I certainly had no intention of anyone having any interest in my paintings- but when I posted them I started to receive inquiries and so much positive feedback. I was encouraged by my friends, family, and strangers to pursue my art. I had a hard time at first, thinking of my paintings leaving my home, they are all so personal- but just like me they deserve a chance to shine. 

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This is my story, my pain, my love, and my joy- thank you for being here.