Skakun’s red blood cells are mutated, spherically shaped and fragile; at age five they became severely anemic and underwent an emergency splenectomy. For decades, as a way of survival as a chronically-ill. person, they have researched ways to create healthy microbiomes and increase the operation of immune systems in order to improve cell function. The philosophy of their recent body of work is informed by being routinely-sick, learning to walk again after a serious bicycle accident, and regrowth after atrophy. They have explored sculptures as objects of ritual, collaborative movement, and play, ranging from time-based devotions to endurance trainings in order to transform mental and physical states of being. The materials and rituals which aid in maintenance of a disabled body inform the materials and processes used in their sculptures.
Image Description: A plastic strainer which holds Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts, that resemble cauliflower or curdled cheese, rests upon the lip of a large bowl filled with milk kefir. Behind the bowl are various scattered objects and artifacts arranged on colorful cutting mats: 3D objects made of Beneficial Bacteria Biodegradable Milk Polymer, strained wildflower bundles leftover from fermented tea, prescription bottles, a hospital bracelet, blue jay feathers, blown blue eggs, a dollar store graph composition notebook with a pen on top, and a light therapy lamp.