marica

After our shoot, I asked Marica what a panic attack feels like and if she’s comfortable talking about it more: “It feels like you’re going to pass out – like you can’t get enough air and thinking rationally becomes extremely difficult. Experiencing a panic attack is really frightening and can trigger sever physical reactions. After it passes, your body becomes heavy and tired.” She believes that talking openly about anxiety and panic attacks is essential when possible.

Marica is from Ticino, the Swiss Italian speaking region in Switzerland. She moved to Basel for a Master’s program in design and when the pandemic hit she spent quite a bit of time alone. Her thesis is about exploring photography as a medium to give shape to abstract feelings that occur in the mind and exploring ways to portray psychology states and emotions. Because of her background in photography, I asked her if she had anything specific in mind for her portrait. She wanted to show a connection to the life that she cares for and keeps her company in her apartment. Both her art and caring for her plants are a way to process and “give shape” to internal realities.

It is important for her to support herself financially and prove that she can make it as a creative. Her favorite part about living alone is having the freedom to do things like taking a bath at 2 am without bothering anyone else. Marica is a self-proclaimed plant and cat lady. She also finds joy in exploring the city after the sun has retreated and she lights up as she’s describing the adventure of exploring the stillness of night.

[21] Wednesday, June 2, 2021