Rhea’s community partner has spent nearly a lifetime surrounded by diabetes. Many members of his family have T2DM, and many have succumbed to the disease over the years. As he would always say, diabetes is always about how well a patient “manages” their disease, and he felt very thankful for the advances in medicine that have saved his life. His story inspired Rhea’s work, entitled “Managing”. Within the piece, the lifestyles changes and technology are keeping her community partner’s health afloat and steady, rising above fluctuating glucose levels. From there, the patient, physician, and larger health care community are constantly looking to do better for future patients, moving towards the sun, a symbol of the promise of tomorrow.
About the Artist: Smaraki Rhea Dash
Rhea has always been interested in creating, whether it was through sewing, painting, mehendi, or even learning something new. Art has also been about sustaining her Indian culture as she formally studied Indian classical dance from the age of 5. While she had been interested in medicine for some time, her passion for medical humanities really came to light after volunteering at Children’s National, DC. There she would help kids take their mind off of being sick all day by helping create art projects and decorating their hospital rooms. By engaging in artwork and play, she got to know their stories and admired their immense resilience. When she came to medical school, she wanted to make sure art could continue on in her life, which she found in SCOPES.
