{"id":96952,"date":"2019-05-20T10:59:13","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T14:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=96952"},"modified":"2022-03-24T14:19:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T18:19:49","slug":"turning-adversity-art-one-ucf-alums-diagnosis-became-muse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/turning-adversity-art-one-ucf-alums-diagnosis-became-muse\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Adversity Into Art: How One UCF Alum’s Diagnosis Became His Muse"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was 2013 when Evan Rosato \u201918<\/strong> received news that changed his life forever. For the last year, he had been having seizures he couldn\u2019t explain. His doctor had diagnosed him with Petit Mal seizures, which are commonly found in children, can sometimes be mistaken for daydreaming and typically don\u2019t cause any long-term health issues. But Rosato felt there was something more happening.<\/p>\n

So, he decided to get an MRI scan, which confirmed his worst fears: a brain tumor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout any understanding of brain tumors, it felt like a death sentence,\u201d says Rosato, who was recently named a Fulbright Research grantee<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was benign, but required surgery for removal. Yet, Rosato was determined to push forward and decided to work through his feelings in the best way he knew how: by making art.<\/p>\n

Creating Art That Educates<\/h2>\n

Rosato had always worked hard as an undergraduate studio art<\/a> student at UCF. But it wasn\u2019t until his senior year that he decided to create a body of work that was much different from anything he\u2019d done before \u2014 one that put his tumor as the main focus.<\/p>\n

His goal was to not only process his diagnosis, but to dispel myths and misconceptions people have about brain tumors.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrain tumors tend to elicit na\u00efve preconceptions and uninformed understanding,\u201d he says. \u201cTypically, the only way someone learns about brain tumors is through their own experience, through the experience of someone close to them or by Googling \u2018Do I have a brain tumor?\u2019 when they have a severe headache.\u201d<\/p>\n

By introducing the complex nature of brain tumors through a creative lens rather than a scientific one, Rosato\u2019s goal was to make them less abstract and more palatable for the public.<\/p>\n

For his thesis work, he created a 30-minute length piece<\/a> consisting of all the MRI scans he received in 2013. He chose the 30-minute length because that was the average time it took to get an MRI. Similarly, he drew self-portraits of himself mid-seizure, as well as fashioned glass-blown models of the tumor itself.<\/p>\n

Through his art, Rosato was able to find beauty and understanding in his condition for others \u2014 and most importantly, for himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking artwork about my experience gives me a sense of closure and allows me to think about \u2014 and look at \u2014 my experience as an object.\u201d \u2014 Evan Rosato<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cArt has become a kind of cathartic tool after my tumor diagnosis,\u201d says Rosato, who must get an MRI every year as a precaution to check for any abnormalities. \u201cMaking artwork about my experience gives me a sense of closure and allows me to think about \u2014 and look at \u2014 my experience as an object.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosato says people are sometimes hesitant to ask him about his condition, but he chose not to shy away from talking about it. In turn, his audiences are opening up to share their experiences with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I\u2019ve shown my work in public, someone has shared with me their own experience having a brain tumor or about someone they know who has dealt with one,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve realized that people, especially those who have had a personal struggle with a brain tumor, are hesitant to share their experience. Maybe this is because they haven\u2019t been able to talk to someone who truly comprehends what it means to go through this struggle, but I\u2019m glad my work has been able to start a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n