People used to stare at me. I fight back with my paintbrush
Artist Riva Lehrer was frustrated by the lack of authentic depictions of disabled people. So she decided pick up her paintbrush and paint them herself.
American artist Riva Lehrer was born with spina bifida. She endured countless medical procedures through her childhood and adolescence and was told she would never have a job, a romantic relationship or an independent life. But everything changed when as an adult Riva was invited to join the Disabled Artists Collective, a group of artists, writers and performers who were challenging myths around disability in their work. She tells Emily Webb how she began to paint their portraits - and through her art started to transform the stories she’d been told about herself. (This interview contains language that some listeners might find offensive)
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Picture: '66 Degrees'. A self-portrait by Riva Lehrer, 2019.
Credit: Riva Lehrer
Podcast
-
![]()
The Outlook Podcast Archive
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives
