Rue
Participatory Portrait
She was
a faker
Rue became disabled at nineteen after sepsis changed her life. Instead of being met with care, she was met with disbelief — told she was too young, too much, and somehow making it all up.
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Rue became disabled at nineteen after sepsis, and her life changed in ways other people could not — or would not — understand. Alongside the reality of disability came something else: the constant suspicion that she was exaggerating, attention-seeking, or simply not trying hard enough.
She was told she was too young to be disabled. She was called lazy, annoying, and a faker. Instead of support, she was often met with dismissal, as though her body had to perform its pain in a way other people found convincing.
That kind of disbelief can be its own injury. It reduces a person to a defence case, always having to prove what they live with every day. But Rue is more than the language used against her. She is thoughtful, spiritual, and drawn to bright colour and meaning. Even after all of that minimising, she is still here — still herself.
THE DESTRUCTION
Jobless Faker
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About the Work
2026
Acrylic on canvas
For Rue’s destroyed portrait, I covered the painting with the words that have been used to diminish her: “too young to be disabled,” “lazy,” “annoying,” and others. Across the centre, I painted “JOBLESS FAKER” in large white letters so the accusation becomes impossible to ignore. The piece makes visible the constant disbelief and judgement placed onto disabled women, especially when their disability does not fit what other people expect to see.