Making the Invisible Visible: Sammie Chinigo’s Art About Living with Chronic Illness

If you’ve ever heard “but you don’t look sick,” you know how frustrating it can be. That’s been part of Sammie Chinigo’s life for almost 15 years as she manages a chronic autoimmune illness. But instead of staying silent, Sammie, an art student, is speaking out through her art.

Her honors thesis show, “Burden of Proof,” opened October 10, 2026 at 6th Street Studio and invites people to see what’s usually hidden: the fatigue, the pain, the loneliness that come with chronic illness. Using photography, sculpture, and textiles, Sammie turns her personal experience into a shared story.

One powerful piece features Sammie dressed as a smiling 1950s housewife, wrapped in medical equipment, showing the forced smile many of us wear to hide our struggles. Another is a couch called “Uncomfort,” covered with nails and tree roots that captures how “comfort zones” can feel anything but comfortable when your body is hurting.
Sammie says the show is her way of taking off the mask many chronically ill people feel they have to wear. She hopes her work will resonate with others who feel isolated and open new conversations about what it means to live with an invisible illness.

This show is a celebration. Sammie made it to 40 years old, something she wasn’t sure would happen, and each day since has been a victory. Catch this exhibition before it wraps up on October 17, 2026, at 6th St. Studio!

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READ MORE by Samantha Anne Carrillo at https://vivanewmexico.us/wellness/delicate-outside-stone-underneath/