This is composite from the series Frontline Faces of Covid-19 (@frontline_faces_of_covid19). This project was inspired when my best friend, obstetrician Dr. Dena Bloomenthal, wrote, “Today I’m not going to think about how awful it feels to approach distressed women in masks and gowns and face shields. I’m not going to wish that I could see the smiles of my favorite nurses, while babies make their way into the world. We are all having trouble smiling anyways. How do you show compassion while wearing goggles? I never realized the degree to which I communicate by expression, by touch. It’s all gone. I am a scary robot.” I wanted to create portraits of our brave frontline workers that help transform our perception of the personal protective equipment they have to wear. I wanted to create art that would make them feel beautiful, loved, supported, appreciated, and inspired. This is an expression of collective gratitude for their sacrifice and hard work. *all portraits are shared with the permission of the front liners*

Dimensions: This is a digital image. This piece can be printed up to 13.5 inches by 18 inches (they are 3:4 ratio). Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image. 

About the artist, Dr. Julia Henderson: I am a non-practising Occupational Therapist and a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University. I study theatre and its representations of aging and old age. I am also a visual artist and actor.