Art showcase

Featured Artist: Christina Baltais

Toronto/Tkaranto artist Christina Baltais (she/her) has lived with ME/CFS since she was 20 years old. Although her illness was originally ‘mild’, it progressed until she was forced to leave school and became mostly housebound. Now when her health permits it, Christina draws on her personal experiences to create collages, photography, and makeup art aimed at raising awareness for this life-altering illness, and she advocates for her community and for ME healthcare equality.

“When we talk about healing, it is often only referred to in a physical sense — as a precursor to cure. There is another type of healing. It is the healing that takes place when your struggling is validated, seen and heard… I want to normalize and create discussion around the difficult and challenging struggles we face, both within our bodies, and with the outside world because of them.”

CHRISTINA BALTAIS

Click on each art piece to see a full-sized version, image description, and insights from the artist.

Portrait of a Christina, a white woman standing in front of a wall of green foliage. She’s smiling and has long black hair with fringe bangs, and a grey dress.
Portrait of a Christina, a white woman standing in front of a wall of green foliage. She’s smiling and has long black hair with fringe bangs, and a grey dress.

Connect with Christina:

Wings of Hope

Surreal collage of a large shell that has been opened. Inside its base is a light blue bed with a white woman who has black hair and red lips. She is sitting up and stretching out her arms as if she has just awoken from a deep slumber. The roof of the shell is a starry night sky with a crescent moon.

Living in a Shell

Surreal collage of white person holding up their phone with both hands while lying down (photo taken from their perspective). The screen of the phone and underlying blanket are superimposed with a forest scene. It is green and lush with a small river running through it. A doe and black bear can be seen walking on the phone screen, and other animals including a turtle, buck, hare, chipmunk, owl and fox are present outside the phone. This gathering of animals symbolizes accessing community through a virtual space.

Door to the Outside World

Surreal collage of the backs of two people sitting in green and yellow lawn chairs. They are seated on the moons surface, looking at planet Earth that is miles and miles away.

Outsiders

Created on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

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