Cristina Burns Visual Artist - Delusional Parasitosis

delusional parasitosis

Delusional Parasitosis is a photographic series that delves into the disquieting intersections of mental illness, perception, and reality, with a particular focus on eating disorders. Through meticulously composed still-life imagery, the series captures the distorted lens through which mental illnesses alter the mundane, presenting food as both an obsession and a source of anguish.

The viewer is drawn directly into these unsettling compositions, adopting the perspective of the afflicted. This participatory point of view forces the audience to inhabit the discomfort and distortion, blurring the boundaries between subject and observer. The notion of delusional parasitosis—an unfounded yet unwavering belief in being infested by parasites, insects, or pathogens—becomes an allegory for the pervasive impact of these disorders.

Delusional Parasitosis is currently exhibited as part of the project Dulce Engaño, on view at the Museum of Ceuta.
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Vampirism – Renfield Syndrome, 2016
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Explores the compulsion to consume blood, juxtaposing myth and psychiatric reality."

Delusional Parasitosis, 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"A chaotic table set with pills, insects, and broken food rituals evokes the terrifying belief of being consumed from within."

Fear of Choking , 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Depicts anxiety through a plate of stones and a glass of nails, symbolizing the struggle with nourishment."

Sugar and Neurons, 2018
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Highlights the detrimental effects of sugar on mental and physical health."

Fresh Food, 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"A juxtaposition of synthetic ingredients, insects, and childhood iconography on pastel dishes—inviting a critique of hyper-processed consumption."

Poisoned, 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"A tearful doll confronts a sterile world of pills, syringes, and a scorpion in a case—symbolizing the insidious, inescapable nature of toxic dependencies and psychological intrusion."

Stop Playing, 2105
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Tears flowing down the dolls’ eyes give life to the representation of a child’s sadness because she is impeded from playing due to an ongoing illness."

The Parasite, 2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"A surreal reflection on Delusional Parasitosis, blending sweetness and horror—a snake emerges from a donut lodged in a medical collar, symbolizing the body invaded by invisible torment."

Meat, 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"A dissection of modern food ethics and industrialized meat, featuring an anatomical cow and prosthetic limb in a clinical, surreal layout."

Riflessioni a Tavola, 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Still life becomes psychological mirror — what we eat, touch, and reflect on forms a poetic anatomy of control."

Spring is coming! , 2015
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Limited edition print – dimensions available upon request

"Symbolizes hope and renewal amidst mental health challenges."

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