Lately, I’ve been making an effort to expand the variety of television I consume. While I love a good comfort rewatch, I’ve also been craving fresh perspectives—especially those that reflect my lived experiences and passions.
That’s how I stumbled across PBS' online series For Dear Life, just in time for their latest episode featuring disabled artist Katherine Sherwood.
At 44, a cerebral hemorrhage left the entire right side of her body paralyzed. She had to relearn everything, including painting—but in doing so, she uncovered a completely new artistic voice.
Forced to switch to her left hand, Katherine found herself painting with a newfound fluidity and urgency. Her work became even more conceptual, referencing medieval manuscripts, historical brain imagery, and even CIA satellite images.
Throughout this evolution, Katherine's art became an extension of her activism. She co-founded The Yelling Clinic, an artist collective focused on the intersections of disability, war, and art therapy.
Her Healers of the Yelling Clinic series merges textiles with brain-scan heads, while her Venuses directly challenge art history’s narrow definitions of inclusivity and feminism. In her most recent work, Brain Flowers, she intertwines fMRI scans of her own brain with the delicate beauty of Dutch floral still lifes, inviting viewers to meditate on the transient nature of existence.
Watching Sherwood’s episode of For Dear Life, it's clear how her journey is a testament to how disabled artists redefine artistic traditions on their own terms.
If you want to check out the series, I highly recommend diving in!
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