Artistry from the health sciences community

We’re an exceptionally creative group of people here in health sciences, and that’s evidenced at the exhibition happening through the Community Arts @ Health Sciences program. It’s an effort to inspire and enable students, faculty, staff, and community members to engage with art and with each other, while highlighting how art and science inform one another. The exhibition is on the 3rd, 5th and 7th floors of the Health Sciences Education Center through January, so there’s still time left to see the incredible work on display. Here are a few highlights from the School of Dentistry.

Clinical assistant professor Dr. Keta Desai explained the theme of her painting, "Think pretty, Live pretty." With a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, she’s always been fascinated by the brain and its complexities. And she also loves receiving and gifting flowers. “That’s why I chose those subjects for the piece that I submitted,” she said, adding that the title implies the power of positive thoughts in living a peaceful and balanced life that’s free of envy, insecurities and hate.

Yihsuan Chen, DDS '25, remarked on the clinical inspiration for her depiction of an anglerfish encountering a shark. “I still remember that when I saw my first-ever patient, I looked like an anglerfish with the loupe on. I was so anxious and scared. But now, looking back, she would have been even more frightened if she knew she was my first patient. That’s why I chose a shark in my painting to represent a patient who seemed intimidating to me, but I know she was terrified as well.”

Elena Latterell, BSDH ‘26 is already pursuing a minor in art, so she was ready to go when the exhibition was announced. “My acrylic painting, “Antarctica,” fit the theme of science and its relation to art,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase my work beyond my painting classes, and to share it with a wider audience for the first time.”

Not all the work in the exhibit uses traditional media, as exemplified by Aaron Kupcho, executive office and administrative specialist at the School of Dentistry. A graffiti writer and artist who goes by the name “Sufi,” Kupcho said, “I feel honored and am excited for people to see an example of an art medium (spray paint and aerosol art) that they’re probably not that familiar with.”