The Sick Bed – self-portrait 2024/25
Brett Poulsen
- Sitter: Brett Poulsen
- Medium: Oil on Canvas
- Dimensions: 46cm x 60cm
- Representation: This artist represents themselves
About the artwork
Brisbane artist Brett Poulsen has lived with high level quadriplegia caused by a sporting accident since the age of 19. In 2024 and 2025 he experienced pressure sores, a hazard from life in a wheelchair. Over 16 months he was required to remain on complete bed rest to allow the wounds to heal, except for a small window of time each day.
“Allowed up briefly for two to three hours daily, I’ve taken the opportunity to document this side of my life in this self-portrait.”
Raw and honest, the painting depicts Poulsen’s reality during this time and the physical and emotional burden of recovery. Lying in bed, nude, bruised and vulnerable, the artist stares above him. The heavy folds of the sheets beneath him suggest the long passage of time. The portrait is a quiet record of the stillness, discomfort and the slow and uncertain process of healing.
