Aidah Namusoke
Red blood cells are long-lived, magical things designed to carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body’s cells. But for people like me, inheritors of the sickle cell gene, our red blood cells are misshapen. Instead of looking like a doughnut they look like a little red crescent, a sort of blood moon, and they last just two or three weeks before suddenly self-destructing.
When this happens these misshapen little cells get stuck together in clumps inside the blood vessels and they can block the flow of blood. This is known as a crisis, and it can be painful or can even cause organ damage. Cold weather can cause crises, as can high altitudes. It’s a daily battle, even though from the outside everything appears normal.
This project explores the pain that comes with having these bloody crescents, and it explores the healing and grace that are the other side of the coin. Scars transmute into art, while resilience becomes a means not just of fighting but also of moving forward. Making is more precious when it is an act of opposition. Like the moon we must all go through phases of darkness as well as light.