Jess Coldrey's exhibition 'Pain Pageant: A Visual Chronicle of Life with Endometriosis' delves into the personal battle of living with endometriosis. Through sculpture, photography, and drawing, she explores the taboos and performance surrounding the chronic illness and its average 7-year diagnosis time.

Embroidered hospital gowns created during Coldrey's 2021 artist residency in France are at the show's centre. Tell her stories of diagnosis, triggers, and the social implications of living with pain. Sketches from her recovery, and a photographic piece from her 'Invisible Pain' series is also featured, where fabric and pins visualise sensations outside the body.

This timely exhibition in Australia highlights an invisible topic that demands national attention. Coldrey's work encourages us to think about the societal norms surrounding chronic illness, with a compelling personal reminder of the importance of breaking the silence and creating awareness on a topic that affects one in nine people with uteruses globally.

Open Wednesdays - Saturdays, 11am - 4pm

Images courtesy of Arts Manningham, Photos by Charlie Kinross