JULIANA IRENE SMITH
Solo Exhibition
Scaredy Cat – Boo!
31.10. – 30.11. 2025
Photographic Centre Peri
Turku, Finland
Exhibition Text
The truth is, I’m afraid of everything. If I’m distracted enough by a TV show or a gallery opening or a little bit tipsy then maybe it calms to 70%. I’m afraid of heights, death, illness, bad people, flying (actually, any form of traveling — cars, buses, trains) enclosed spaces, forests, glaciers, elevators, public bathrooms, basements, attics, war, climate change, bugs, bears, barking dogs, sharks, snakes, wolves, loud noises, strong smells, mold, mushrooms. I’m afraid of falling and chipping my teeth (again). I’m afraid of old cismen, especially doctors, actors, musicians, men with white beards and US Americans. I’m extremely afraid of getting raped again. My walls are up and my
fists are high. Hello, anxiety! One of the hardest things about living in Finland is the darkness. I’m 47 years old and, yes, I’m afraid of the dark.
My therapist tells me that adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse have two common reactions to darkness: They either love it because they can hide and be invisible, or, like me, they’re afraid because that’s when the bad things happened.