Cape Breton artist with breast cancer uses face paint to express pain

Cape Breton artist Lauren Sylliboy is painting her pain from cancer, using her body as a canvas.  

The 24-year-old in Eskasoni was diagnosed with breast cancer about two months ago. She's using face painting as an outlet as she goes through chemotherapy. 

"Imagine if you had ice going through your veins," Syllioby tells CBC News.

"You feel physically tired and you feel emotionally tired."

'Reality kicks in'

Sylliboy says accepting she had cancer was hard, especially because she lives a healthy life, not smoking or drinking. 

"You start to see yourself as a cancer patient because you start to look like one," she said, referring to her hair loss. Sylliboy now wears a wig of thick, long black hair. 

"Reality kicks in that I have cancer."

'It gives hope'

She paints with bright colours, though often with black, dripping and splattering it along her face and over her skull, wig removed. She posts those self-portraits on social media to help others with the disease. 

"It gives hope to other people," Sylliboy says. "It inspires them to be strong and it inspires them to create their own outlet, as well."