The West Australian Pulse 2022: Mckenzie Wilson on road to recovery after overcoming eating disorders

St George’s Anglican Grammar School graduate Mckenzie Wilson said having her artwork on display at the Art Gallery of WA as part of this year’s Year 12 Perspectives exhibition is a “dream come true”. When she found out her painting Afterglow, a diptych exploring the before and after of her battle with a debilitating eating disorder, was one of 49 works by students from 32 WA schools on show until July 24 she was “mostly shocked and started crying”. Ms Wilson’s subtle yet remarkably candid work features on the one of two special STM covers celebrating this year’s exhibition, now called The West Australian Pulse, alongside John XXIII College graduate Bailey Arundell’s vibrant Effeminate Flamboyance. For the talented young artist, Afterglow celebrates her courage in overcoming anorexia and body dysmorphia, as well as depression and anxiety. “I was completely not a normal kid,” Ms Wilson explained. “I didn’t go to parties, and for about four or five years it just destroyed my life. “My eating disorder took away my painting … I stopped painting for two years because I was mostly focusing on food and eating.” Ms Wilson said she was hospitalised for three months in Year 9, before swapping from Mercedes College to St George’s in Year 10 so she could study ATAR visual art. She credited “super kind” mentor Carol Wohlnick, head of arts at St George’s, and her newfound love of cycling for putting her on the road to recovery. “I got into road cycling as a few boys at my school did the sport and, to be honest, I’m very competitive and wanted to be better than them,” Ms Wilson laughed. “I got my first bike from one of the boys and fell in love instantly while going for rides along the river. “I learnt that you have to have food to fuel your body,” she added. “I got into the strength training and now I’m training five days a week. “I’m eating the most I have in my life. I’m enjoying food and loving life.” Ms Wilson also reconnected with her artistic side, spending around 40 hours on each part of Afterglow, which was inspired by New York painter Lee Price’s photorealistic painting, Sleeping With Peaches, for her final Year 12 ATAR project. She replaced the peaches with her favourite fruit: papaya. “The first one is me during my eating disorder, facing away from the fruit,” Ms Wilson explained. “The second one I’m connected with the fruit with it in my lap.” After graduating from high school, Ms Wilson is having a “gap year” while earning money painting murals in private homes, ranging from children’s bedrooms to an entire room full of Marvel superheroes for an adult fan that took three days to finish. Ms Wilson said she is “so excited and happy” to be part of this year’s Pulse exhibition, and hopes Afterglow “opens a few eyes” to the impact of eating disorders on young lives. As for her health, she said it is “amazing, I’m basically the best I’ve ever been”. The West Australian Pulse 2022 is at AGWA until July 24. Special edition of STM, featuring two alternate covers which celebrate Pulse artists, in tomorrow’s The Sunday Times.