In her new show, “Invisible,” at the Josephine Joan Gallery in Fullerton, mixed media artist and photographer Leanne Sargeant explores illness through a personal lens.

Sargeant uses the camera to examine hidden layers of herself from an out of body perspective. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in March of 2018, Sargeant began a series of self-portraits that document her journey through navigating life while living with this not outwardly visible chronic disease.

At times confrontational and others deeply introspective, these large-format images combine mix-media in order to convey the physical and emotional complexity anyone feels when faced with a life-changing event. Items such as red yarn and actual syringes symbolize both the pain and the healing the artist has gone through. As such, they remind us of what we can also face and conquer in our own ways.

The opening reception is Friday, October 4 from 6-10pm during the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk. Josephine Joan Gallery is located at 515 W Commonwealth Ave Ste 102, Fullerton (714) 681-6754. Visit www.josephinejoan.com.