Chrysalis

Many neurodivergent people mask when they are out in public, suppressing their natural instincts in order to blend in and gain acceptance in society, which can lead to sensory overload.

From my daughter’s point of view, the world is buzzing, shifting, breathing. Every little noise, color, and shape feels like it is fighting for her attention and she is unable to filter out the unnecessary information, which most people do innately. She sees herself from the outside. This ensures that she is mirroring what the acceptable behavior is, but her mind tells her she is still being observed, even when she’s alone.

Cocooning herself in a blanket is her instinctive way of calming herself at the end of every day. It allows her to focus on what she is feeling, without the unwanted external stimuli – and without her own prying eyes. “I am my own voyeur and want to escape my own gaze.”

This project was formed in February 2025 as we walked the Camino de Santiago together. Arriving in our room each evening, she would immediately climb under the covers to shut out the world. I was struck by the changing compositions of her form in each new bed - the contours and textures of the various blankets, lighting from a bathroom or streetlight, sometimes the silhouette made from her phone. It was all fascinating and beautiful to me. She was like a chrysalis, waiting to emerge the next day, a new person.