Sickle, 2024

Sickle, 2024

Sickle cell disease

Artist statement:

The piece titled “Sickle” portrays one patient’s experience with Sickle Cell Anemia and the treacherous journey that comes along with such diagnosis. While Sickle Cell patients can still live relatively normal lives, they will often experience a plethora of medical complications such as organ damage, limited joint mobility, shortened life span as well as chronic and severe pain. I wanted to capture the battle with chronic pain by having a metaphorical knife in the back to represent the overwhelming stabbing pains that someone experiences with this diagnosis, physically and mentally. I also wanted to clearly represent the pain that my subject is going through on her face by having furrowed eyebrows and wrinkles around the eyes. The other symptoms that one may experience is intentionally not represented here as many of them are invisible, for example organ damage and a shortened life span. These things might not be apparent at first glance however I feel that you can always tell when someone is in severe pain, it takes over and becomes impossible to mask which is what this piece intends to center. I feature a Black patient due to the high demographic of Black patients, and this piece highlights how intersectional Sickle Cell Anemia and its challenges are with Black experiences, especially in an American context. The identity piece is primarily communicated through the banners at the corners which are traditionally patterns that are associated with African culture. In the background there are artistically rendered but scientifically accurate depictions about what is going on in the cell causing all of these complications in the first place. It shows the deformed blood cells getting caught on one another and clotting. This is done in a flat pattern style to almost become a tapestry-esk design with the banners at the edges. These elements collide to represent the unspoken and invisible struggle that is ever present and intertwined with Black identity in America.

Medical description:

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic condition that causes red blood cells to contort into a crescent shape. The blood cells are stiff/sticky, and the shape causes them to clot. The patient’s symptoms stem from red blood cell malformation, their affinity for clotting, and the shortage of total cells. Early signs of this disease can cause jaundice, anemia, and extreme fatigue. As the disease progresses the patient can have swelling of the extremities and chronic pain. An aging patient will require an ensuite bathroom due to their constant need to stay hydrated (Elendu et al., 2023; Umeakunne et al., 2019). They will need support devices such as a walker, bathroom support bars, and nightlights. The patient may need a wheelchair due to joint pain and limited mobility. Lastly, they will require oxygenation, blood transfusions, and pain medications as these symptoms can intensify in aging patients (Lakkakula et al., 2018).

Dean, Alexis

2024

Martin, Ximena; Khokhar, Sarah; Chavez, Karla; Pittman, Lorelei; Camarena, Patricia

In Copyright- This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights.

Digital illustration ; 3 x 3.4 in.