Personal Statement

My work combines art and science as a way to visually communicate complex concepts to anyone who wants to learn. I have always had a passion for both worlds ever since I was young. The curiosity for how things worked fueled my vehemence for science, and the creation of new ideas sparked my love for the arts. My goal with each of my pieces is to clearly explain intricate scientific ideas to a wide range of audiences. I believe that anyone can learn at any age. With the visual aids that the medical illustration industry makes, it inspires me to pursue more challenging topics and be able to explain to anyone how something works.

I am enthusiastic about a plethora of subject matters within the scientific world. I am most interested in forensic anthropology because of how it is applied daily to solve crimes. One aspect of the field is facial reconstructions and medical legal diagrams, which help explain to a jury what happened to an individual physically. Facial reconstructions aid in identifying an individual based on their remains. I also have a fascination with human anatomy. Our bodies are constantly being researched, and there are aspects that have just been discovered or are under-researched. This calls for medical illustrators to depict what is happening within our bodies to educate current and future health professionals.

One of the main goals that I would like to achieve with my work as a medical illustrator is to help make diagrams for women’s health, as well as in the world of forensic anthropology. In the medical world, women’s bodies are under-researched, which has led to a lack of education about them around the world. I would love to be able to aid in being able to explain subjects, like how menstrual cycles work and how muscle atrophy as women age increases. I would also like to be a part of research in topics like human decomposition because it is currently being researched in multiple places in the United States. This could greatly improve the knowledge of how long a body has been dead during investigations.

I strive to try to make an impact with my work in the future, and work diligently as a student to get me there. Medical illustrators are incredibly important for education and research in all areas of study. I want to be a part of the illustrators who help make that happen.

- Vanessa Lewczyk