Left completely paralyzed after being shot in the back, a quadriplegic artist has found a way to continue painting celebrity portraits—using her mouth.
Chicago-based artist Mariam Pare, 41, was caught in the crossfire of a shootout shortly after graduating art school, Caters News reported.
After being trained to sign her name with her mouth, “I realized how much control I had… which was the lightbulb moment.”
The fateful bullet struck her 21 years ago, while she was a passenger in a car driven by a friend.
“Somebody was shooting a gun on the corner and the car that I was in was struck with one of the bullets which one passed through the head rest and hit me in the back,” Pare said.
The artist’s work will appear in a few gallery exhibitions this year in Chicago—including her first solo exhibition in August.
“When people do find out they’re very impressed or don’t know even know how I manage it but it’s like second nature for me now and I can’t even remember what it’s like to use my hands,” said Pare.
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