Art in STEAM Gallery Welcomes New Artist, KYRIANNA

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Art in STEAM gallery welcomes new artist, KYRIANNA

This month, ScienceWorks welcomes a new artist to the Art in STEAM gallery: KYRIANNA, an internationally known watercolor and mixed media artist whose work centers on chronic pain and illness. KYRIANNA’s artistic practice began at a young age after she developed a debilitating chronic pain condition at age twelve. Her installation, Chronic Conditions Through the Lens of Nature, will be on view at ScienceWorks through the end of April 2026.

Woman in black top and jeans, hand on forehead, seated by plants and a door. It is the artist KYRIANNA.

Statistics show that about one in four American adults lives with a chronic condition of some kind. These conditions are as varied as the people who experience them, and people of any age, appearance, or socioeconomic background can develop a chronic condition. Many of these ailments are invisible and don’t match what people typically imagine when they hear the word “disabled” — often picturing someone in a wheelchair or using a cane.

You may be familiar with some invisible conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or chronic back pain, but there are many others you've likely never have heard of. Even when a chronic condition is invisible, it can be just as disabling — and sometimes more so — than a visible disability.

People with invisible disabilities often face unique challenges and discrimination because their conditions cannot be seen and because of societal stereotypes about what a disabled person “should” look like. Discrimination against disabled people is called ableism, and unfortunately, it remains widespread in our society.

A person's face with frogs on it, surrounded by frog eggs and green foliage.

Primarily working one-on-one with people living with chronic conditions, KYRIANNA creates surrealist watercolor portraits while also exploring a range of mixed media, installation, and performance art. Her work focuses on disability, incorporating themes of feminism, intersectionality, psychology, and nature.

She uses natural elements to represent the chronic symptoms her subjects live with daily, drawing parallels between the natural world and the conditions she portrays. The purpose of these artworks is to raise awareness of disability — especially invisible disabilities — share the stories of people with chronic conditions, and provide meaningful representation for disabled viewers.

Chronic Conditions Through the Lens of Nature also invites guests to participate in a hands-on “Body Scan” activity, encouraging visitors to reflect on how sensations and emotions “live” in different parts of their bodies and to associate colors with those feelings. A template is provided for guests to color their own self-portrait and take it home.