Art imitating life: Jaclyn’s story
2 min read 19 September 2024
Jaclyn Beecroft’s art is a testament to her resilience—a way to tell the world that, even in the face of stage four cancer, there is still room for beauty, joy, and glitter.
At 44 she’s preparing for her first-ever art exhibition in October - a reflection of her battle with cancer between 2018 and today - that she’s tackled with a big dose of humour.
The pieces hold a deep personal meaning, drawn from her treatment journey, her changing body, and the way she’s found to cope with the unimaginable.
Jaclyn’s cancer story began with a rash on her breast that she noticed after returning from a trip to Berlin - a seemingly minor issue that led to a series of appointments and an ultrasound.
Nothing was detected at first, but her doctor chose to take no chances, ordering further tests that eventually revealed an invasive ductal carcinoma (a type of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts) that had already spread to her lymph nodes.
“If my doctor had dismissed me, I wouldn’t be here today,” Jaclyn says, reflecting on the life-saving decision by her doctor to dig deeper.
What followed was a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone treatment. Six months she was declared “NED”—No Evidence of Disease.
She remained cancer free until a second blow came this year, when it was discovered that her cancer had returned - this time spreading to her bone marrow.
Over the past seven years Jaclyn’s navigated an unending stream of treatments and doctors’ visits, with her creative side becoming a form of therapy and a way to express the complexity of living with cancer.
“My first painting was inspired by Saint Agatha, the patron saint of breast cancer, who is often depicted holding her severed breasts—an image that I found confronting, yet strangely powerful,” Jaclyn explains.
From there, her artwork evolved to reflect the stages of her journey— including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and the many other treatments she’s endured.
But it wasn’t just painting that Jaclyn turned to. She also began collecting medical items—drug packaging, unused drainage bags, and other remnants of her treatment—and repurposing them into artistic statements.
One of her pieces is a dress that documents years of treatment with appointment letters, patient tags, medicine boxes and blister packs – another is a chandelier made of crystals, pill bottles and used Zoladex cartridges (a hormone therapy drug she has to inject herself with regularly).
“I like turning something horrible into something quite pretty and aesthetically pleasing,” she explains.
The art reflects the nuances of her journey, from the sparkling sequins of her inner-child work to the sombre, yet delicate, imagery of saints.
Her exhibition, hosted at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre in collaboration with her cousin Gennivieve (a fellow breast cancer survivor), feels both deeply personal and strikingly universal. It will strike a chord with anyone who’s had a cancer diagnosis or knows someone who has.
Gennivieve’s pieces—a study of anatomy with paintings of lungs and a spine—pair with Jaclyn’s work to create a powerful visual dialogue about survival, loss, and the beauty that can be found in even the darkest times.
In reflecting on how far she’s come, Jaclyn doesn’t just see herself as a stage-four cancer patient but as someone living with a chronic illness.
“When I was a kid, when someone got advanced cancer, it was palliative care, it was a hospice,” Jaclyn says.
“But I’m fortunate that the regime I’m on is working and keeping me stable and I’m living pretty normally with stage four cancer.
“It may progress, but I’m in the best place with the best people who want me to live as long as I can with the best quality of life.”
Through her art, Jaclyn is not just telling the story of her cancer journey, but celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the evolving power of cancer treatment.
Though cancer changes everything, it cannot diminish the capacity for hope, creativity, or survival.
The exhibition - Breast Decade - is running from October 10 to November 1 at the Birnbeal Gallery at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Entry is free and it’s open weekdays 9am-5pm.