After an initial surgery that removed the tumor, Cheatem endured six months of chemotherapy. Some complications that came along with the treatment, such as a lack of energy and nerve damage to his hand, which forced the artist to take a step back from his painting to prioritize his wellness. He knew he would once again pick up his palette, but he didn't want to force the process prematurely.
Now, a year after being cleared of cancer in May 2023, Cheatem’s latest solo exhibition, H.E.A.L.E.D., allows him to publicly share how he processed and overcame his once debilitating diagnosis.
“The question was always around how I would respond with my art,” Cheatem says. “And I didn't want to be too intentional about it, I wanted it to happen organically. And so I just continued to create throughout the whole process and everything kind of fell into place.”
H.E.A.L.E.D., which runs through May 29 at the Janette Kennedy Gallery, illustrates Cheatem’s journey to wellness over the last year and a half. Through a series of 22 paintings, he shares his gradual artistic process throughout his diagnosis, chemotherapy treatments and subsequent remission.
Throughout his gradual recovery, Cheatem decided to document his 12 infusion treatments through 12 separate abstract paintings — the first abstract paintings he has shared in a show. The other 10 depict representational imagery that more closely resembles his typical style. Through the viewing at the gallery, Cheatem hopes others get a sense of both disruption and harmony between the two contrasting styles — a staggered pattern he feels best represents his progress through chemotherapy treatment and the disruption it caused in his own life.
When he first walked through the gallery by himself, Cheatem says he was able to see a new sense of growth within himself and in his work. He already knew he had learned much about himself and his own strength throughout his health journey, but now he was able to physically see how he mentally and emotionally processed such a difficult and confusing time in his life.
“I never reached the point where it was hard for me to reflect on it, because I feel like somehow I don't feel the memories,” Cheatem says. “It's like, I know what happened, and I can recount it, but I'm not down by recalling those memories. So it was more celebratory for me to be where I am now and recall those and be able to express those things and put them into my art, then it would be difficult to recall or feel what I went through.”
A Light at the End of the Gallery
By seeing his own process through his paintings, Cheatem hopes he is able to humanize a “big, hard word” like “cancer” and what it means. By putting a face and a name to the disease and a personal story behind it, he feels he can help others process and understand a battle they may have never had themselves.“There's really no background to it unless you have personal experience,” Cheatem says. “And so, yes, people know, Ruben had cancer and he went through cancer treatment, but to really understand the details is another level. And that’s where my art steps in, to add that context, to add that inside view.”
Although H.E.A.L.E.D. is one of his most personal series, Cheatem says the exhibition is about more than just himself. It’s also about more than just cancer. Cheatem hopes others can process his vulnerable journey through his cancer diagnosis and remission, but he hopes the larger notion of resilience and strength through any form of struggle resonates with people experiencing any kind of disruption or obstacle in their lives.
“I tried to make it beyond my cancer diagnosis and journey through that just something dark enters your life, and you deal with it head on, and you do the work and get past it,” Cheatem says. “And when you reflect on it, the work is not what stands out. The difficulty is not what stands out, it's the triumph and the healing.”
H.E.A.L.E.D. is about showing those tougher moments that may be hard for others to want to witness, whether it be their own struggle or a stranger’s. When visitors reach the end of the gallery walkthrough, Cheatem hopes they can see that not every part of a struggle is ugly and hopeless. Making it to the other side may not be as romantic as one thinks, but it can still be beautiful to see.
“Highlighting those kinds of moments, I want to show the triumph itself rather than making it glorious,” Cheatem says. “I want people to see that you don’t have to be a hero to triumph. You just have to keep fighting.”
H.E.A.L.E.D. runs through May 29 at Janette Kennedy Gallery, 1409 Botham Jean Blvd., No. 105. The gallery is open daily, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., and admission is free. The gallery’s closing reception will be held May 28, 6–9 p.m.
