An artist uses the canvas to make sense of her partner’s illness, and her own
For Lauryn Welch, a 32-year-old artist with roots in New Hampshire, painting and chronic illness were synchronized revelations. Learning her longtime partner, Samuel Geiger, had a connective tissue disorder called hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, led her to the canvas. She needed an outlet, a way of making sense of what her partner was feeling, and the brushes helped. Not long after, Welch learned she had an autoimmune condition that put her body in flux, too.
Those many intertwined parts of her life are on display in a new short film, “The Body Is a House of Familiar Rooms.” The film blends documentary video and illustration, plus an intimate voiceover narration that gives a glimpse into Welch and Geiger’s colorful life together. Welch co-created the film with Geiger and filmmaker Eloise Sherrid, and it has been screened at numerous local and regional film festivals.
