The Guam Museum Café Gallery will host “Chewing on Static,” the first solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer Julia Birn, with the opening reception from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24.
Birn, a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and dysautonomia, a broad umbrella term for any malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic body functions like heart rate and blood pressure. Her main diagnosis also includes postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a specific, common type of dysautonomia defined by an abnormal jump in heart rate. Her experiences with chronic illness inform her artwork and the exhibit, which explores uncertainty through abstraction, fragmentation, and limited color palettes.
Birn said discussing chronic illness can help people better understand the conditions of those who live with chronic illness and raise awareness.
“I’m very open to talking about what chronic illnesses I have because talking about it is how we learn more about it,” Birn said. “We learn how people deal with it. It helps get awareness to the situations and the illnesses.”
She also hopes the exhibition encourages people to consider art as a way to express experiences, like she does, beyond happiness and positive moments.
“Because art is supposed to be expressive. It doesn’t need to focus on just the happy moments or fun times,” Birn said. “And I think pushing that perspective will really expand people’s knowledge of art and how they feel towards it, and I feel like that’s needed here.”
The exhibit will remain on view through Dec. 1.
The Guam Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
