Behind the Looking Glass

SOWMITHREE RAGOTHAMAN Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Class of 2021

This piece was inspired by my work in Hamilton’s downtown core and a Hamilton Spectator article I read as part of my coursework, called “Worlds Apart”. The piece depicts a street-involved woman, with half of her face being shown and the other half disintegrating into factors that make up the “social determinants of health”, i.e. external factors that influence a person’s health, wellbeing, and living situation. I was really inspired by the intersectionality of the concept, and it taught me to think beyond someone’s appearance and the behaviours they may display outwardly. I titled the piece “Behind the Looking Glass” to invite the viewer to consider this, and used bright blue to highlight the woman’s eyes and silhouette as being a facade that covers the history, trauma and nuances of one person’s life. I also specifically chose to portray the subject smoking to challenge societal perceptions, as smoking is usually perceived to be the moral failure of an individual to make healthy lifestyle choices. I hope that this piece helps viewers realize that health is not “good” or “bad” in isolation, but is shaped by multiple systemic factors that are often beyond an individual’s control.