Pancreas
A portrayal of resilience and the precarious balance of living with chronic illness.
This painting symbolizes the tension between control and vulnerability in living with Type 1 diabetes, elevating daily struggles to quiet sanctity.
Pancreas depicts a barefoot young woman standing on a suspension bridge, symbolizing the precarious path of managing Type 1 diabetes. She holds a bag of sugar, representing her condition, while her raised index finger with a single drop of blood reflects the constant monitoring required for her survival.
A gold-leaf halo surrounds her head, elevating her daily struggle to one of quiet resilience and sanctity. The abstract elements in the composition highlight the complexity of living with a chronic illness and the emotional tension between control and vulnerability.
Inspired by the framework of Johari’s Window, the painting emphasizes the hidden, unexpressed aspects of her experience, inviting viewers to reflect on the unseen challenges of chronic illness and the strength required to navigate them.
Oil and mixed media on canvas
40″ x 24″
The Full Story Doesn’t Exist: Structural Omission in Contemporary Realism
Deborah Scott’s paintings begin with real conversations—personal narratives offered in moments of trust. But the works resist the illusion of full understanding. Rather than completing the story, each piece reveals its limits: what can be seen, and what cannot.
Rendered with classical precision and intentionally interrupted, these images reflect Scott’s framework of Structural Omission—a practice that refuses closure and challenges the viewer’s desire for resolution. The absences aren’t decorative; they’re structural. What’s missing was never meant to be filled in.
In an era of instant answers and polished certainty, Scott’s realism holds space for complexity, fracture, and the unknown.