Toronto Life:

I started sculpting in 1991, working only with natural materials. My studio housed a collection of dead things.

I spent up to 12 hours a day grinding and sanding the shells to fit into the shape of Adam’s body.

After a few months working on Adam, I began to feel unwell. I was agitated all of the time. I had constant headaches, and I vomited often, sometimes a few times a day. I visited a never-ending assortment of specialists—neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists—hoping to figure out what was wrong with me. When they asked me if I worked with anything toxic, I said no, that I only used natural materials.

The symptoms worsened.

What an awful, terrible story. My heart goes out to this artist.