The soft blue thermoplastic feels warm as it’s stretched against my head. We’re creating my radiation mask, molding it to the exact contours of my face to better protect me during radiation therapy for the pseudotumor behind my eye. For the next 15 days, the custom mask is bolted down to the table with me inside it, the plastic shell keeping me completely immobilized as a machine delivers beams of radiation. Trapped within the mask, I try my hardest not to panic. When the radiation runs its course, I receive a certificate signed by the entire therapy team, along with my big, blue mask. I let it haunt my coffee table for a while, until my mom finally yells at me to put it in a drawer.
For those dealing with various forms of cancer and illness, radiation masks are a common part of the experience, often serving as one of the most physical relics of the journey. Some burn their masks, and I don’t blame them. Others turn the masks into art.
Transforming a tangible reminder of illness and pain feels differently for everyone. The artists below describe the process as everything from cathartic to heartbreaking. Many use their own masks as their medium, tired of letting them rot in a dark corner. Others decorate donated masks as an act of service. From the original plastic armor blooms roses, lotus blossoms, and colorful landscapes. A previously clinical tool reimagined by semi-precious stones, fantastic colors, and a very human touch.
For now, my own mask is still collecting dust somewhere in my apartment. But radiation mask art reminds me that there’s beauty in even the darkest experiences. Read on to see how these six artists are finding it in their own ways, allowing them to grieve, heal, and create more light.
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Courtesy of Michael Denson
"Pushing Through" by Michael Denson
In December 2020, the Cancer Support Community AZ approached gallery director Michael Denson about a new exhibit. “It was an exciting concept where artists were given radiation masks of cancer patients and commissioned to create works of art based on the patient’s story,” Denson tells POPSUGAR. “At the time of our initial planning, my father and sister both were suffering through cancer diagnosis and treatments.” While visiting his sister, Denson noticed a radiation mask sitting in the corner of her room, and asked if he could use it in the upcoming exhibit. “She kindly agreed, leaving me with the words, ‘It reminds me of what I’ve been through.’ I came back with her radiation mask, determined to capture her story as I saw it play out, as she continued her battle.”
Denson used acrylic and ink on wood for the final piece, entitled “Pushing Through” – a tribute to his sister. “Like a beautiful lotus climbing, reaching, making its way through mucky waters, she pushed through. Through sadness, disappointment, isolation, pain, frustration, and innumerable unknowns, she pushed through,” he says. “Unfortunately she lost her battle with cancer. But her story remains. She taught us how to keep fighting, for family, for love, for life. She taught us how to break through the dark waters and blossom in the light.”
Courtesy of Andrew Pisula
"Corrina's Mask" by Andrew Pisula
“My mom lost her battle with cancer, [so] when my closest friend was diagnosed it was terrifying,” artist Andrew Pisula tells POPSUGAR. “She won her battle and asked me to turn her radiation mask into something beautiful.” The radiation mask serves as the focal point of the piece, surrounded by sculpted wooden petals, semi-precious stones, metals, and fabrics. “This was easily the hardest creative project I’ve ever done. But also, the most meaningful,” Pisula says. “I posted the results to social media and have now done a series and each one carries the same emotions into it.”
Courtesy of Andrew Pisula
"Radiation Mask II" by Andrew Pisula
Another multimedia radiation mask creation by Pisula, this piece features another intricate and beautiful wood carving. I’m proud to do this for all my (now) friends that have had such a trial in their lives,” Pisula says.
Courtesy of Cyndi Hardy
"Breathe" by Cyndi Hardy
Cyndi Hardy‘s radiation mask art, entitled “Breathe,” is dedicated to her mom, who died from ovarian cancer. “I created the mask so that I could tell the story of my mum while spreading awareness about ovarian cancer,” she tells POPSUGAR. “It was a little nerve wracking since I only had one shot at it, but it was also calming at the same time. When I finished it, it felt like I had accomplished the most meaningful art piece of my life.” Hardy fashioned a base out of plaster cloth, shaping the face using joint compound, and adding color with acrylic paint.
When the piece was originally displayed, Hardy wrote, “Her favorite place was the ocean, so I painted the mask in an ocean theme with the sand and waves at the bottom and deeper blue at the top.” Personal touches like earrings, lilacs, and a crochet headband helped the mask feel more like her. “The butterflies represent the constant changing and evolving in her life,” Hardy says. “The hummingbirds show that she now flies with the hummingbirds.”
