Rebekah Dinnerstein who goes by the artist name Bekah Fly is chronically ill. She has common variable immune deficiency, environmental sensitivity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and PTSD.
I am a visual artist originally from New York City. My work is influenced by surrealism, street art, synesthesia and spiritual practices around dealing with chronic illness and disability. I have contributed art to shows at The United Nations with “I sell the Shadow,” the Nuyorican Poets Café, The Art students League in NYC, The Roadside Gallery in 29 Palms and the Beatnik Lounge in Joshua Tree California. I grew up in a family involved in the arts, and art has always been a place of respite for me.
Growing up in New York I was lucky to have free access to museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at a young age was fascinated and moved by pieces by great artists like Van Gogh and Egon Schiele. I was also exposed to street art, at a young age, and have always considered this art equal to those in museums. I greatly admire the street artist, Swoon, whose works have been exhibited in MOMA. I have early memories of being transfixed by mosaic art on subway tunnel walls. I also greatly admire and am inspired by the work of female surrealist artists like Leonora Carrington as well as Frida Kahlo who is especially inspirational to me, as a chronically ill female artist. I often think of her painting on her body cast as well as a portrait of her feet, that she painted when she could no longer walk. It read, “feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly.”
