HANNAH KIVIRANTA
Canada
A Haunting
Kiviranta documented her personal journey with an extremely painful chronic illness called endometriosis through 2018-2021. Her series A Haunting is an intimate look into both the physiological manifestation of the disease and the toll it took on Kiviranta’s body, as well as the psychological torment that she experienced that was routinely dismissed by medical professionals. For the last 15 years she suffered from pelvic pain. Despite being told countless times by doctors and specialists that she was fine, her condition progressed to the point of experiencing severe daily pain. She was told by a specialist “you don’t have endometriosis.” Kiviranta believed to her core that she had endometriosis. Her pain became so debilitating that she lost all autonomy of her own body on a daily basis. She couldn’t shower on her own, she couldn’t walk to the bathroom, she couldn’t eat, and she would faint and vomit from the pain. She was suicidal because of the pain she was in and the lack of support she was receiving. After flying to another country and seeking out a surgeon, Kiviranta underwent extensive laparoscopic excision surgery and was diagnosed with Stage III Endometriosis, needing an ovary, fallopian tube and appendix removed due to the damage. She was told repeatedly for years that she wasn’t experiencing the pain and suffering that she kept vocalizing. The only thing that helped her was photographing her journey.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Hanna Kiviranta is a photographer from Toronto. She graduated from Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario with a BAA in Photography. She owns and shoots for her wedding photography company, Rosewood Studios. By nature, Kiviranta is an introverted individual with a love for honesty and authenticity, which is why her work heavily focuses on a documentary approach, centered around narratives and her ability to be a storyteller. For 5 years after graduating, she assisted 2 commercial photographers and did production on-set while working on personal projects. She now shoots freelance, shoots weddings, and works on her personal projects full time.
