In this project, Melanie Sheehan invites viewers to experience the deeply personal experience of navigating daily life with keratoconus, a degenerative eye condition that has considerably impacted her vision. Through her work, she aims to explore the frustrations and vulnerabilities that accompany even the most mundane moments of her day-to-day life.

For Sheehan, the creative process provides a form of empowerment. In the face of a condition that initially left her feeling powerless, photography and printmaking offer a means to regain control over her vision. Through these processes, she controls what is visible, when it is visible, and how it is presented. By making decisions about the visual content and structure of her work, Sheehan not only reclaims control over her eyesight but also asserts her narrative in the face of an often-overlooked challenge.

Sheehan’s project explores the intersections of vulnerability, control, and resilience. It is an invitation to the viewer to reflect on the unseen struggles that shape our daily lives, as well as a celebration of the ways in which art can provide people with a sense of freedom and control in moments of loss and uncertainty.