Artistic Explorations of Science and Identity

Background

An Artistic Lens on “Diversifying the Curriculum” in the Biosciences

In May 2024, a series of workshop sessions was initatied by Drs Nick Freestone, Francesca Arrigoni and Stephanie Black. The aim was to facilitate conversation and collaboration between students from Kingston University’s BSc Pharmaceutical Science degree and MA Illustration programme.

Facilitated by artist Ravista Mehra, the workshops explored the lived experiences of the culturally and ethnically diverse Pharmaceutical Science students. These discussions centred around personal life experiences with science, health, university life and society, framed through an innovative and creative artistic lens.

As a result of these rich and animated conversations, the MA Illustration students began to visually interpret and represent the stories they heard. Their work ranged widely in style and content, inlcuding: a cartoon infographic about the challenges faced by neurodiverse students in higher education, artwork on sickle cell disease, and a stop-motion animation of talking pills discussing the under-representation of women and people of colour in the curriculum. Another piece portrays the life of Pakistan’s first Nobel Prize winner.

In a separate but aligned initiative, Dr Arrigoni was inspired by a student visit she organised to the Hunterian Museum which houses artefacts relating to the history of surgery and anatomical studies. She responded by producing a series of images reflecting her thoughts and feelings arising from the visit.

These outputs mark what is hoped to be the beginning of an ongoing series. The goal is for each student to find their place in the curriculum and feel like a valued part of a living, breathing learning community.

Explore the Artwork