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Portrait of a silent killer

2/8/2015

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PictureIronic, portrait of Andrew Chapman by Ellen Palmer-Hubble, Archibald entry 2015
By Ellen Palmer-Hubble

AS PART of my passion for portraiture, I have completed six Archibald entries, the most recent for 2015 of Australian photographer Andrew Chapman.

The portrait is titled ‘Ironic’. Metaphorically the corrugated iron, inclusive of rust and corrosion, parallels the symptoms of haemochromatosis.

Andrew has been severely affected by haemochromatosis which resulted in a liver transplant. 


I have haemochromatosis in my genetics. My children, Tom and Tessa, now in their 20s, have the genes and we have recently learned that my husband, David, also has the disease. Haemochromatosis was the disease that claimed the life of my father.

Since haemochromatosis is so prevalent in our families, Andrew and I were keen to use our Archibald entry to raise awareness of this insidious and silent killer.

One of Andrew’s passions for subject matter is the documenting of rural Australian life, particularly in the wool industry. He has travelled over large swathes of the country for more than 40 years to record the people and the places. Many of the buildings he photographs are constructed in iron.

Undetected iron overload happens over time in the human body. This can allow the assumption that all is well until it “corrodes” the liver.​   


People with the disease have iron metabolism that is out of balance – it is believed too much iron is absorbed from the gut which then accumulates in abnormally high levels in the body's tissues.

The condition often goes undetected in early years as it remains a 'silent' disorder, but it can easily be diagnosed with appropriate blood tests and be treated. Without treatment, it can lead to complications that are potentially life-threatening. For more information, visit www.haemochromatosis.org.au.

Ellen Hubble is a new (soon to become permanent) resident of Bass Coast and currently living at Cape Paterson.

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