Artist: Joseph Adams
Title: Theresa of Ávila
Medium: Original Engraving
Size: 2.5x5 in. (13x15 in.)
Artist Statement:
When Teresa of Ávila was young, she suffered from what we would call “scrupulosity”, and self harmed—nearly to the point of death—because of her feelings of guilt. When she was at the point of death, she felt herself infused with the love of God, and was able to leave her harmful ideologies and practices behind. In our Mormon culture, we tend to sweep scrupulosity and self harm under the rug, while simultaneously leaning into teachings and practices that drive too many young people into those self-destructive behaviors. Teresa gives us a model of how to heal and move past such things.