Around Boston, a tide of art to comfort and calm
By Cate McQuaid Globe Correspondent,Updated February 24, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
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Chanel Thervil unveils portraits from her âQuarantine Self-Care Series on Instagram.Matthew J Lee/Globe staff
When the world went into lockdown last year and the devastating effects of COVID-19 played out in hospitals and on television screens, painter Zarah Hussain remembered her own respiratory trauma. A difficult pregnancy had precipitated a tear in her diaphragm. Three years ago, she had surgery to repair it.
âIt was immensely traumatic to heal and recover. And the thing that really profoundly helped me was the breath,â she said in a Zoom conversation from her home in London. âCount in eight and count out eight. Thatâs really difficult to do when youâre in a state of stress or anxiety.â