Fleeting Moments
Jessica Xiong, 2T8 WB
Artist’s Statement: Stepping foot for the first time on the same grounds where my parents once walked, carrying a lifetime of hopes, dreams, and ambitions. Shot on Nikon Z50.
Moller Villa Hotel
William Ding, 2T8 Fitz
Artist’s Statement: Moller Villa Hotel (马勒别墅) stands as a picturesque, Nordic-style castle in the heart of Shanghai. From afar, the hotel’s unique architecture resembles a fairytale castle, with its three-story structure adorned with Norwegian spires and Gothic steeples. The architectural style blends Scandinavian elegance with touches of Chinese charm. The sculpted, lush greenery in the surrounding garden creates a serene oasis amidst the bustling city. This enchanting villa contrasts beautifully with Shanghai’s modern landscape, offering a tranquil retreat in a historic setting.
Instagram: @ding_william
Birdspotting
Bronte Lim, 2T5 WB
Artist’s Statement: There is levity in flight, joy in observation, and ease of photography upon landing.
Featuring: Red-tailed hawk, Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto, ON
Mandarin duck, Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, BC
Study Break in Babylonian Shanghai: 1000 Trees & a Stylish Pup
William Ding, 2T8 Fitz
Artist’s Statement: Tired of studying medicine? Come to Shanghai to experience a modern-day Hanging Garden of Babylon! At 1000 Trees (大洋晶典·天安千树), Heatherwick Studio’s innovative project brings the ancient wonder to life in the 21st century. Imagine ascending a lush, green mountain in the heart of the city, surrounded by over 1,000 trees and 250,000 plants. As you explore this unique blend of nature and design, you might even spot a whimsical red French Bulldog statue sporting trendy sunglasses, welcoming you to this vibrant hub where history meets innovation. It’s the perfect place to take a break from textbooks and immerse yourself in a contemporary interpretation of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!
There is Brokenness in Healing
Ali AlMail, 2T5 Fitz
Artist’s Statement: This piece poses the question of can healing and brokenness coexist. The answer is yes. There are dynamic symbols of healing represented through this painting, from the art kintsugi to repair the wounded leg, to a bright stained glass windowilluminating the space instead of a heart left to dry, and an offering of flowers to acknowledge and be grateful for the gift of healing.
www.alialmail.com
Uncertainty
Andy Liu, 2T7 PB
Artist’s Statement: New Year’s Day, 2025, on the East Coast shore of Connecticut, my thoughts churned like the waves. New Year’s Day has always evoked mixed feelings—a sense of optimism for the year ahead and an equally strong sense of apprehension for the unknown. As I navigate through the uncertainties of life, I can only hope that the lighthouse within me shines brightly and tirelessly.
The Faces of Depression
Tali Katz, 2T7 PB
Artist’s Statement: “The Faces of Depression” examines the disconnect between the personas we project and the inner struggles we often conceal. Drawing on the complexities of mental health, this piece illustrates how depression can be masked by a facade of composure. The intention behind capturing this duality is to encourage a more nuanced understanding of the unseen challenges many endure.
Pain, Delirium, and the Jungle Within
Noor Al Kaabi, 2T7 MAM
Artist’s Statement: This artwork captures the visceral experience of pain and delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). A woman lies in her hospital bed and her hair transforms into a dense and tangled jungle — her mind is both sanctuary and a nightmare.
Through this piece, I explore the delicate balance between alleviating suffering and the cognitive consequences of sedation. Physicians are tasked with understanding the evolving landscape of pain management. Recent evidence favors multimodal pain relief strategies over excessive sedation to reduce ICU delirium and cognitive impairment. The historical reliance on benzodiazepines is waning, while non-pharmacologic interventions such as early mobility gain favour.
This piece invites the viewer to step into this complex intersection of medicine, ethics, and human vulnerability.
@archivesbynoor
@kermansekhon
Ripples of Becoming
Alina Sami, 2T7 WB
Artist’s Statement: This artwork is a reflection on our evolution—both as a species and as individuals navigating the currents of our own growth. It features early humans marching forward through the evolutionary stages, with each step sending ripples that symbolize movement and invite us to see every step as a wave-making act. They reinforce that growth is never linear; our choices, histories, and dreams overlap in continuous circles, reminding us that with each step—rooted in the past and reaching toward the future—we are actively shaping both our own evolution and the world around us.
Did I do the Right Thing?
Andy Lee, 2T7 WB
I stared at Achilleus’s case file, the weight of medical decisions pressing against my temples. The aggressive treatment plan they’d pursued for his schizophrenia—high-dose antipsychotics,intensive therapy, and multiple interventions.
Two years ago, Achilleus had been in the depths of a severe psychotic break. The team had made bold choices. Powerful medications to stabilize his mind, comprehensive psychiatric support to rebuild his reality. They had pulled him back from the brink.
But now, his hands betrayed him. The tremors from medication, the cognitive fog, the reduced motor control—they were insurmountable barriers. The neurological side effects of his treatment had stolen something fundamental.
“Each piece of wood tells a story,” Achilleus would say. “Cedar has this warm, rich scent that speaks of ancient forests. Maple reveals its character through its subtle grain—smooth, with just a hint of complexity.”
When Achilleus spoke about woodworking, his entire demeanor transformed. His eyes would light up, hands moving with a muscle memory that transcended his current challenges. He described the intricate process of crafting furniture with a reverence that bordered on poetry.
But with his tremors, his dream of woodworking remained just that—a dream.
During the last session, Achilleus brought in an old portfolio—sketches of furniture designs he’d created before his diagnosis.
Intricate chairs with perfect curves, tables that seemed to defy gravity, cabinets that told stories through their joints and grains. His fingers traced the lines, but he could no longer create them.
All I did was sit and think to myself.
Did I do the right thing?
A Clinical Choreography
Chinmayi Yathiraju, 2T7 PB
Artist’s Statement: I wrote this poem as an ode to the complexity and richness of a physician-patient interview, and the dynamic challenges that can arise during the interaction. In one of our first clinical skills sessions, our tutor noted that a patient encounter is like a carefully orchestrated dance. This imagery stuck with me, as I realized that a recital or performance has many parallels to a physician-patient interview. There are many elements that can be practiced and perfected, and yet, just as many unpredictable challenges that may arise that the artist must adeptly work through.
They say a patient encounter is a dance –
A delicate push and pull within a sequence of coordinated steps.
To which I wonder, what music is it set to?
Is it a rhythmic waltz or a volatile symphony?
What happens when a dancer stumbles,
Landing a pace off-beat, drifting apart from the melody?
Does her partner notice?
And when it does come to their notice that the story has lost its way,
The pattern erratic and flow disrupted,
Can the performance be saved?
For the elegance of such a dance blooms from the art of improvisation:
In holding silence for longer than the music may instruct,
In responding in time to subtle expressions,
In sharing space,
And guiding a meandering pirouette back into the focus of the spotlight.
This is a dance in which the performer is at once the audience,
Watching, interpreting, understanding.
For while it is one talent to execute perfectly the movements of a well-practiced
choreography,
It is another entirely to perform.