Hematophobia-2023
Fainting Blood explores the physical and psychological process of vasovagal syncope—a fear reflex triggered by the sight of blood. This involuntary response slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and redirects blood flow to the legs, causing a temporary reduction of oxygen to the brain. As a result, the body succumbs to dizziness, weakness, and, ultimately, collapse.
This series of seven works visualizes this process, tracing the journey from the first drop of blood to complete disintegration. Through a deliberate progression in material weight—from light to heavy—the installation amplifies the sensation of fear, mirroring the increasing physiological intensity of fainting.
Rooted in the concept of exposure therapy, this project challenges the conditioned association between blood and fear. Psychological studies have shown that techniques such as Applied Tension—which involves muscle contraction to counteract the drop in blood pressure—can help individuals regain control over their bodies (Peterson, 2004). In this work, I extend this therapeutic principle into a visual and tactile realm, using materiality and spatial composition to confront the viewer with both the vulnerability and resilience of the human body.
In line with my ongoing exploration of female identity and desire, Fainting Blood also speaks to the broader experience of bodily agency and constraint. The act of fainting—an uncontrollable surrender to the body’s primitive instincts—echoes the complex relationship between physicality, autonomy, and social conditioning. Through this installation, I invite the audience to navigate the threshold between fear and confrontation, fragility and control, immersion and detachment.
For me, the ego is an entity coursing through the blood—intangible yet deeply embedded within the body. The skin, an impermeable barrier, serves as its boundary, safeguarding the self from dissolution. But when this barrier is breached, fear sets in: the fear of losing a part of ourselves, of spilling out in liquid or solid form, of unraveling into something beyond our control. This rupture teeters on the edge of self-disintegration and an unsettling integration with the external world.
In this work, fear is not only conceptualized but also made visible—transformed into something tangible to confront and, ultimately, to lessen its grip. By tracing the physiological process of fainting blood, I seek to dismantle the conditioned response that binds fear to the body. For those who experience dizziness at the sight of blood, this work offers a way to externalize and understand their reaction. And for me, someone who also struggles with this response, the act of creating becomes a form of exposure therapy—a ritual of both confrontation and healing.
Beyond the physical, this project aligns with my ongoing exploration of bodily boundaries, vulnerability, and control. It questions where the self ends and the external world begins, and whether fear itself can be redefined—not as something to avoid, but as something to observe, engage with, and ultimately reclaim.