The Face of ITP is an initiative promoted by AIPIT (Italian Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura Association) in collaboration with the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and in partnership with Amgen, global leader in pharmaceutical biotechnologies. It was created to raise public and medical awareness about how people suffering from ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura), a rare disease that is still little known and difficult to diagnose, often feel disoriented and alone in their journey. Thanks to the involvement of various artists, the campaign aims to give a “face” to the disease, starting with patients’ emotional experience.
13 young artists will try their hand at translating patients’ experiences into art.
4 major chapters interpreted through the different artistic forms employed by the participants.
Diagnosis journey
Moment of diagnosis
Treatments
Living with the illness
The works will be brought together in a travelling studio and exhibited at Italian haematology departments to raise awareness about ITP patients’ experience in care facilities too.
Immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disorder that affects platelets. Patients with ITP produce antibodies that not only attack and neutralise foreign bodies but also destroy platelets.
As a result, the number of platelets becomes very low, leading to clotting difficulties that can cause spontaneous bleeding and can even be very serious in some cases. The platelet deficit is not compensated by the production of new platelets. This is why ITP is a condition that often tends to become chronic.
ITP is a rare, non-malignant disease that can affect individuals at any age and is often difficult to diagnose. Living with this disorder is not easy due to the unpredictability of platelet count drops, which have a huge impact on patient’s everyday life and quality of life.
Art is life and health. There is growing scientific evidence about the link between art and health, as backed up by the World Health Organization with the publication of the largest study ever conducted on the subject: “What is the evidence of the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? “.
Everyone can derive benefit, inspiration and wellbeing from looking at a painting, a drawing, a sculpture or a video. Art can convey important content and messages that not only help patients, but can raise awareness about diseases that are often unknown to the general public.
The Brera Academy embraces this concept, devoting its two-year course in the Theory and Practice of Art Therapy to this subject and supporting “The Face of ITP” project.
Thirteen students accepted the challenge to try to give a voice and face to the journey undertaken by patients when dealing with this disease.
