Cape Town, South Africa
Leila
Abrahams
Interdisciplinary artist weaving gel capsules and blister packs into a language for invisible illness.
Works
About
Leila Abrahams (b. 1999) is an interdisciplinary artist from Cape Town, South Africa. Her practice weaves together aspects of her personal histories, drawing from her experiences with grief, mental health and chronic illness. Her decade-long journey with the condition of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is foundational to her artistic inquiries.
Using materials ubiquitous within the medical practice — gel capsules and blister packs — Abrahams gestures at a new vocabulary to approach difficult conversations around invisible ailments. At the heart of her deeply intimate and embodied practice is a yearning to find ways to navigate her own illness while also creating space for less stigma and more compassion.
Through an abstract and minimalist language emphasised by the careful placement of materials, Abrahams creates beauty, harmony and order — which in turn become subtle acts of resistance.
“My work speaks to the overwhelming nature of chronic medication and the waves of emotion that accompany the experience. I came to accept my medication as something I take daily but that no longer has power over me.” Leila Abrahams — biography written by Nkgopoleng Moloi
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Michaelis School of Fine Art, 2018–2022
Artist Statement
Chronic fatigue Chronic pain Chronic meds
These are the experiences of those who suffer from a chronic illness such as myself — which is the main conceptual focus of my works. They talk about my life experience with regards to lupus. While my materials talk about the physical intake of chronic medication, each piece tries to speak about a different aspect of living with lupus.
The subject of chronic medication led to the use of pharmaceuticals in my work, such as blister packs and empty gel capsules. These materials take medication out of its conventional sense and, in their large scale, allude to the feeling of unease.
My first piece, Journey, concentrated more on the physical intake of chronic medication and the emotional journey I went through. I used to take 40 pills a day; this overwhelming number led to my denial and depression in taking chronic medication.
It is my hope that my works comfort those who suffer with similar illnesses and help them feel seen and understood. For others, I hope that it opens their eyes and minds to the experience of those with invisible chronic illnesses and the challenges we face.
Exhibitions
2021 — 2026Contact
Enquiries
For availability, commissions and exhibition enquiries, please get in touch by email.