Brianne Urzada’s work explores how trauma affects our identities—beginning with her own, when, at age 23, she underwent successful treatment for stage three Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Using abstract figures and bold colors, she documents the healing journey, conveying powerful messages of hope. 

Leaving no emotion untouched, the oil-on-canvas works radiate with both darkness and light. Urzada’s work, marked by her sense of community responsibility, offers a fresh, vibrant take on life after trauma. “To physicalize the expression of the healing process is to crush the oppression and control the body can have over us,” said the artist.