This is a series of written drawings where the core is formed by extracts of my poetic works dealing with physical and emotional states. 
I create them on small-format pieces of paper measuring 38.5 centimeters by 41.5 and they’re precisely drafted in accordance with the rules for building Roman characters. 
The paper has specific properties. It is used in hospitals and in health care in the patient’s home during cannulation. The rough structure on one side of the paper and semi-glossy surface of the other side means that it serves not only to create a sterile, isolated space around the patient, but also to absorb any liquids which might spill or splash, such as blood, decanted preparations and so forth. 

In addition, the paper is folded into squares in the factory, which facilitates working on a drawing in a restricted, limited space.
I began working on this series while I was in hospital – circumstances that compelled me to use small formats and a sequential, fragmented working method, since my studio space was reduced to the dimension of a bed. 

I created my drawings on the paper which was used during my treatment. 

The series is a form of illness narrative, which recalls the idea of telling the story from the perspective of the afflictive body's experience, and its linguistic translation. A letter itself constitutes the sole familiar and stable element in the new, far-from-stable circumstances of the body in crisis. 

This project was planned to be exhibited as part of my solo exhibition entitled Diagnoses and Reconstructions at the Muzalewska Gallery, Poznan, PL, on 12 May 2020. The show has been postponed till October 2020 or later. 


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Malgorzata Dawidek