The Body Remembers: A Survivor's Gaze | Sharma Shari
Gallery Six | On-view through August 31, 2026
Wednesday, August 26
10:00am - 6:00pm
Main Library
Gallery 6This photographic series transforms my personal cancer journey into a visual narrative centered on healing, identity, and cultural resilience.

Through 15–25 works—ranging from self-portraiture to symbolic still lifes—I explore the shifting relationship between the body and illness.
"The Body Remembers: A Survivor’s Gaze" is a photographic art project that transforms my personal cancer journey into a visual narrative centered on healing, identity, and cultural resilience. Through a series of photographs—including self-portraiture, survivor portraiture, and symbolic still lifes—I explore the emotional and physical landscape of illness and recovery.
The work reflects the shifting relationship I developed with my body during treatment: the loss of hair, the softening of strength, the emotional exhaustion, and the gradual return of power. As a Puerto Rican woman living in the diaspora, my experience of cancer also intersected with inherited histories of displacement, colonialism, and resilience. These layered themes appear in the imagery through color, symbolism, and the presence of water, flora, and domestic spaces.
The project blends documentary sensibility with conceptual scenes, shot throughout Broward County in intimate, familiar environments—creating photographs that are both deeply personal and universally resonant."
Artist's bio:
Sharma Shari is a photographer, artist, and media theorist whose work bridges technical precision with deep conceptual narrative. Originally trained as a computer engineer in Puerto Rico, she spent three years in the industry before trading the cubicle life for a creative calling. She relocated to Atlanta to earn her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she developed a practice centered on translating complex emotions and cultural theory into visual art. Her personal work deeply examines the concept of “the other” through the lens of her dual Puerto Rican and American identity.
Sharma’s accolades include being a two-time finalist in Photography Forum Magazine’s Annual College Photography Contest, winning the Audience Choice Award at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, and being selected as a Broward Cultural Division FY26 Artist Support Grant – Cycle II awardee.
Since moving to Florida in 2009, she has built a dynamic, creative business, capturing unique visuals for major brands like Google and Walt Disney Parks. Currently based in South Florida, she focuses her expertise on crafting standout branding photography for businesses, capturing joyful weddings, and creating cinematic portraits for cosplayers. She specializes in catering to non-traditional, delightfully geeky clients who love doing things their own way. You can see her work and connect at https://sharmashari.com
A Service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
Main Library
| Mon, Aug 03 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Tue, Aug 04 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Wed, Aug 05 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Thu, Aug 06 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Fri, Aug 07 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sat, Aug 08 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sun, Aug 09 | Closed |

