Sabine Becker - Sabine is a "Foot Artist" and creates her intricate Spirit Dancer Dolls and Shadowboxes entirely with her

Born in Berlin, West Germany on January 11, 1962, I was one of the last “Thalidomide Babies” whose mother took the drug Thalidomide during early stages of their pregnancy. I was born with abbreviated arms, but I learned from a very early age to compensate by using my feet for daily task such as dressing, brushing my hair, writing etc. 

In 1968 I attended elementary school, which in the late 60’s was ill-equipped to deal with a disabled student. It took perseverance on the part of my mother to convince school officials that I was capable of attending main stream school. With a lot of hard work I graduated with a bachelors of Science Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. After my years at the University, I worked with disabled children in several countries, such as France, Somalia, Ethiopia, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.

Following a creative urge and the need to survive, I went into arts. Inspired by Southwestern Native American art and Alaskan Native art, I created my own version of the “Spirit Dancer”. Sewn from leather, they are decorated with small necklaces, dresses and feathers. I craft their “Spirit Mask” from moose or caribou antler. 

Today, much of my energy goes into advocating disability awareness and Independent Living. I have addressed Disability Conferences throughout the United State. But I also speak in schools to children as young as 5 years old to demonstrate how I use my feet.