Talking Portfolio: Episode Two
Episode Two Extras
Behind the Painting: Strength
The man in the painting, The Boxer, is my brother, Leon. He is one of the strongest people I know and not only on account of his physical strength.
Behind every painting is a story, and in this case, my brother was lucky to make it to adulthood, let alone become a professional kick boxer.
When Leon was nine years old, he almost died from a brain tumour as big as an adult’s fist.
The tumour was close to the brain stem and it required major surgery to remove it.
He was fortunate to survive but this was not without some physical complications.
Behind the Painting: Recovery
After the operation, Leon had to learn to walk and talk again. He was left with damage to the cerebellum, which caused one side of his body to become weaker than the other. He had to learn to write with his left hand and had double vision that eventually required more surgery to correct.
It would have been easy to give up, but my brother was determined to heal his body. He had been active before his experience with brain cancer and did his best to get his strength back.
He went to occupational therapy sessions and then began to do muscle building exercises on his own.
When he was a teenager, Leon became interested in martial arts as a way of further building his strength. He now has achieved a black level in Muay Thai Kickboxing, a black belt first dan in Freestyle Tae Kwon Do and a black belt first dan in Chinese Kickboxing.
Behind the Painting: Determination
Painting my brother in The Boxer revealed to me the strength he possessed to rise above adversity. In my Flipbook, you can see his transformation from photograph to work of art.
His willpower to overcome the results of a cerebral lesion is reflected through his muscular physique: he is focused, he is determined and most of all, he is a fighter.
Behind the Painting: The Boxer in Action
The experience of painting The Boxer inspired me to build my own strength: I took up kickboxing. My brother became more than just a figure in this painting: he became my personal trainer.