S.C.A.R.S. Art is a multidisciplinary arts platform rooted
in creative expression, movement, storytelling, cross-
cultural exchange, and community connection. Inspired
by the Buddhist concept of “turning poison into medicine
” and the art practice of Kintsugi, S.C.A.R.S.Art explores
how struggle, resilience, and lived experience can be
transformed into sources of beauty, empowerment, and
connection.
The project was born from founder Olivia Eng’s personal journey recovering from multiple
spinal surgeries and years of chronic pain and physical rehabilitation after temporarily losing
the ability to walk. During this time, poetry, drawing, photography, and music became essential
creative outlets for processing, reconnecting, and rebuilding, eventually leading me back to
movement and performance through a new lens.The word “scars” became both literal and
symbolic — representing not only physical scars, but the experiences that shape, challenge, and transform us.
Through dance, visual arts, music, film, photography, poetry, dialogues and collaborative arts programming, S.C.A.R.S. Art creates spaces for individuals and communities to share stories, celebrate resilience, and connect across cultures and experiences. What began as a personal creative practice has since evolved into a collaborative platform bridging interdisciplinary art, storytelling, and community engagement.
MISSION
ABOUT
Olivia Eng is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, choreographer, and teaching artist whose work explores the intersection of dance + movement, visual art, storytelling, film, poetry, cross-cultural exchange and community engagement. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where she studied Dance Performance and Sociology, and learned the roots of Afro-Modern dance under Donald McKayle.
Olivia is the creator of the S.C.A.R.S. Project (Strength, Courage, and Resilience of the Soul), an interdisciplinary arts initiative rooted in creative expression, cross-cultural connection, and the transformative power of storytelling through movement and collaborative art-making.
Her work has expanded into partnerships with schools, organizations, and communities through multidisciplinary arts facilitation, somatic practices, and community-centered programming. In 2021, S.C.A.R.S. was awarded both the CA$H Dance Grant and the Integrity: Arts & Culture Association Grant to create its second collaborative dance film, Let Me Be.
In addition to her artistic work, Olivia studies Eastern and Western herbal medicine, acupressure, agroecology, and permaculture. Her long-term vision is to continue developing accessible arts and wellness programming that empowers underserved communities through creativity, connection, and interdisciplinary healing practices.