The Hidden Truths Project and the Epilepsy Foundation will host Hidden Truths, the Mind Unraveled 2016, an “Art of Epilepsy” show and fundraiser featuring works by artists living with epilepsy worldwide.
This year’s event, the group’s fifth, will take place on Oct. 8 at the Gray Matter Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, California. All artwork on display will be available for purchase, and all of the benefit’s proceeds will fund patient advocacy work for the local epilepsy community. Organizers hope to raise over $40,000.
Hidden Truths will showcase over 50 pieces from local, Orange Country, artists, as well as those elsewhere — from Malaysia and Jamaica. All works illustrate what it’s like to live with
(Credit: Epilepsy Foundation)
this condition.
One of the artists featured in the exhibit is Brian Menish, 27 , who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in high school that left him with a permanent left-brain injury that causes recurrent seizures.
“My epilepsy is a result of a traumatic brain injury I suffered due to a horrific motorcycle accident. I was unable to talk or walk, and after many years of physical therapy I was determined to regain my abilities and be able to enjoy the things I did before my injury,” Menish said in a press release. “My love of art is something that has remained a constant in my life and it has helped, and will continue to help me, through my recovery process.”
Before his injury, Brian was an avid painter. He learned how to paint again after the accident, this time with his left hand, in part to compensate for continuing difficulties with speaking and verbalizing his thoughts. He found that art helped him to relieve his frustration and regain a sense of control over his epilepsy.
“I’m honored to participate in the Hidden Truths event with other artists from across the world who have epilepsy. It’s an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and show support for the community that I’m a part of,” he said.
To see a preview of the artwork before the event, check Hidden Truths’ online gallery.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, 450,000 people in California and 65 million in the United States are estimated to have epilepsy.
