Drawing the Eye to Nothingness: A Breast Cancer Memoir

Houston artist Thedra Cullar-Ledford was three days from surgery to donate a kidney to a friend when the last test of the screening process revealed her breast cancer. The art she made during the subsequent short-but-intense cancer journey came together in the exhibition “Drawing the Eye to Nothingness” at Houston’s G Gallery in April of 2015. This catalog from the show not only documents the emotionally-charged artwork, but puts that work into context by combining it with medical information the artist received and graphic photos of the impacts on her body throughout the entire process. Cancer changed Thedra’s life in many ways. The art that emerged from the experience led to a solo exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and a series of amazing professional opportunities. Her decision to not go through breast reconstruction placed her at odds with the expectations of many people and even some of the medical community. However, it also led to her finding and helping to grow a worldwide community of like-minded people who believe that reconstruction should be an option — not the default — presented to every woman undergoing a mastectomy. Her artwork continues to focus on how female bodies are affected by society at large. Read more