© Jiatong Lu | Nowhere Land, Sue
Nowhere Land
Jiatong Lu
Jiatong Lu explores the silent epidemic of chronic Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses in the United States.
In the photographic series Nowhere Land by Jiatong Lu, she explores the silent epidemic of chronic Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses in the United States. Through personal narratives, Jiatong captures the quiet suffering, daily struggles, and emotional isolation experienced by individuals contending with this unseen and debilitating condition. In 2021, Jiatong herself confronted alarming symptoms leading to a Lyme disease diagnosis. Disappointed by the ineffectiveness of the CDC's standard treatment, she undertook an extensive quest for alternative solutions. During this exploration, Jiatong stumbled upon an online Lyme community that had long remained concealed from the public eye. Inspired by the stories within, Jiatong launched her ongoing Nowhere Land project in 2022.
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Jiatong Lu: "Nowhere Land explores the silent epidemic of chronic Lyme disease and Tick-borne illnesses in the United States. Through intimate narratives, it captures the silent suffering, daily battles, and emotional isolation endured by individuals living with this invisible and debilitating condition.
In 2021, I developed a series of terrifying symptoms and was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the standard treatment suggested by the CDC didn't provide any relief from my symptoms. I started an extensive search for alternative treatments and various doctors as new symptoms continued to emerge. During this process, I discovered a substantial Lyme community online—a community that had long remained invisible to the public and had endured mistreatment for decades. Motivated by their stories, I embarked on my ongoing project, Nowhere Land, in 2022.
Each year, approximately 476,000 people in the United States are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. An overwhelming number of Lyme patients were misdiagnosed by doctors in the early stages of the disease because of inaccurate testing and misleading information provided by the CDC. Besides coping with their symptoms, many chronic Lyme patients face tremendous financial pressure as the CDC and insurance companies do not recognise chronic Lyme disease. Countless Lyme patients are dismissed and blamed, their pain invalidated, and their suffering is just in their heads. For decades, they have been waiting for an answer from the medical system. They are angry, afraid, and feel betrayed by their own bodies, isolated, unseen and unheard, as though trapped in the middle of nowhere."
About
Jiatong Lu is a mixed-media artist and photographer based in New York. Born in 1988, she grew up in Northwest China and graduated with an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts. Her artistic practice centres around the exploration of physical and mental trauma, delving into the intricate connections between personal memory and collective cultural memory, as well as the interplay between individual experiences and social policies.
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