Katelynn Racer

The featured artist for August 2021.

Artist Bio:

Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, I have had a passion for all things art from a young age. I thought that practicing my drawing and painting skills would stay merely a hobby and was encouraged to seek a profession outside of the art world. I graduated college and got a job with a broadcasting company, where I spent seven very unfulfilling years. Then, due to Covid-19, I lost my job and spent the quarantine soul searching. Art has always been a big part of my life and I finally had time and energy to focus on developing my skills further.

This series of work started out as an examination of the beauty in death and turned into an examination of the beauty in rebirth. When I found out I had cancer in January 2021, it inevitably changed the way I thought about everything, including my first gallery show. I had been diagnosed with a rare cancer, epithelioid sarcoma. It took a part of a finger with it, but not my life. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be the same when I came out of surgery, all I knew is that art gave me solace and peace of mind, and I wasn’t about to let this stop me. This series has been therapy for me and a reaffirmation of who I am and what I’m capable of. I hope you enjoy this work made from the point of view of a survivor and I hope you find your own fire within.

“The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do.” – Bob Ross

Artist Statement:

This collection of work is a physical representation of second chances. After learning I had been living with cancer for nearly two years, undiscovered, I felt so much uncertainty. I lost a fingertip but I gained a second chance at life and a new perspective. I hope my work gives people a sense of hope and knowing that you’re not alone and you can do anything as long as you believe you can.