Asclepius
Dina G.
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This is a painting of my mom and I. The two brown braids belong to the younger me, and the glowing hand belongs to my mom. She doesn’t glow in real life, but she does paint. This might seem like too ordinary a task to put on a five foot by six foot canvas, but it’s pretty incredible to me. When I was eight years old, she was diagnosed with Stage Four lung cancer. In the years since then, I’ve never stopped thinking about what is to come for us, worrying constantly about the future. She pulls me back into the present - drawing and writing and smiling. She taught me how to be an artist - not the technical drawing and painting skills, but how to wake up each day and choose to make art despite it all.
In ancient Greek society, the gods of healing, singing, and prophecy were worshiped in different capacities at different times. During prosperous times in Greek history, the emphasis was on healing, but when times were grim, the focus switched to prophecy. In my painting, I used symbols of the Greek god of healing, Asclepius, with his constellation in the background and his snake wrapped around one of the braids, reminiscent of his rod. Even in times of sickness, my mom and I choose art and healing over a need for prophecy and stability.
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Creativity allows me to communicate my thoughts authentically. Through visual mediums and creative writing, I can express myself. I oftentimes use art to make gifts for loved ones - art can reach places in your heart that other means of communication cannot. I like using creativity to make others smile.
