Women recreate old masters’ art in breast cancer campaign
Breast cancer survivors are exposing their chests and posing like models from classical Rubens and Rembrandt paintings for the Breast Cancer Foundation’s awareness campaign.
The foundation’s message for October’s Breast Cancer Month is “knowledge beats breast cancer”.
Shona Kelway, 54, from Pukekohe, Anete Smith, 51, from Auckland’s North Shore, and Hamilton mother Kelly McDiarmid, 37, have all undergone life-saving mastectomies combined with chemotherapy and drugs.
“(They) have received the best treatment modern medi- cine can offer . . . these 21stcentury women are looking forward to long and healthy lives,” said foundation chief executive Evangelia Henderson.
“Sadly, though, breast cancer still strikes women at a devastating rate, jumping to more than 3300 diagnoses a year in the most recent statistics.” The foundation wants to remind women to “know your normal” and be aware of changes, while celebrating the improvement in medical care in the 21st century. “When breast cancer is found early, survival rates are good,” Henderson said. “However, we’re still losing more than 600 Kiwis to breast cancer every year.”
In their paintings, Rubens and Rembrandt unknowingly captured lumps and marks now recognised as signs of breast cancer.
Poses in the paintings, including Rubens’ Samson and Delilah, have been recreated for the campaign.
Each year, about 25 men are also diagnosed with breast cancer.