Work

Chanika Svetvilas (Hear my name.) is an interdisciplinary artist grounded in her lived experience as a Thai American woman with a mental health difference. The material choices of charcoal, prescription bottles, found objects, medical texts and personal archive reflect a resistance to the American mental health care system and to reclaim agency. Humor and whimsy convey the ironies of unsupportive medical treatment, healthcare access and disparities. To disrupt the alienation, she creates performative interventions and invites viewers to participate in actions that resonate beyond the visual. Chanika incorporates criptime into her practice. This means rest and recovery are just as important if not more than productivity.

Slide 1: Artist Chanika Svetvilas is sitting crosslegged and leans to peer at three round tiers of mounted melted prescription bottles adorned with gold-like beads. Each tier has gold mirrors.

Slide 2: Artist Chanika Svetvilas sits in a corner in front of two drawings. The left one is in black and white with prominent text in English and Thai. On the right the drawing is in charcoal and orange pastel with a series of emojis and Thai kranok design.

Slide 3: Artist Chanika Svetvilas stands between two large collaged charcoal drawings with multiple layers and overlapping designs.