Lanie DaSilva

Artist statement

TW: OCD

My SI focuses on my brother's compulsions. Growing up, my brother was my biggest role model. I looked up to him in many ways, and we are very close to this day. My brother has struggled with OCD since he was young. Denying medications, he chose to live his life the way he believed he was meant to. I've seen how this has negatively affected him and the people close to him in his own life. I want my SI to focus on this perspective of OCD. Every piece is based on what he described as a compulsion. Within his eyes, I want to dramatically display how debilitating OCD can be on daily function. It is important to understand that my brother was born in Brazil. After the divorce of his parents, he moved to the US with our father.

When he was a teenager he learned English and attended high school in Illinois. Having gone through a major life change, the stress weighed heavily upon him. His obsessions turned severe as he described, “It was the one thing I could control”. Though I couldn't understand this as a child, I believe my passion for psychology was motivated by my early experiences with disorders. I hope though my creations are severe depictions of his compulsions. I never show him as weak. As I stated previously, my brother was my biggest role model growing up. As a child, I perceived him as the best person in the world. He openly describes his compulsions as weakness, I made the artistic choice to add the innocent lens of my childhood adorations. Though he had a negative inner monologue during this time, there was someone who loved him. If anyone has loved someone with a disorder or is struggling themselves. I hope they find themselves in this and know that they are loved.