Shape Of E-Motion
Acrylic and oil on canvas
48 X 60 X inch
This is an artistic representation of a brain with Alzheimer's Disease. For more than 30 years, the formation and accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the current thinking is that depletion of soluble amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) peptide, rather than the accumulation of amyloid plaques themselves, might be the key factor driving toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease. This suggests that maintaining a certain level of soluble Aβ42 could be protective against cognitive decline. This challenges the traditional view of amyloid plaques as the primary pathogenic agent. The cognitive functions of the Alzheimer’s patients are impacted in different ways, raising the possibility that for each patient there is a unique artistic signature. In this painting, I respectfully present my artistic interpretation for those signatures.
The word “e-motion” in the title instead of “emotion” is due to the fact that the latter has no status in science, while “e” as a prefix of “motion” here, shows metaphorically, that in normal situations we can detach from our inner self as being human. At the same time, we can arbitrarily alter our cortical motion processing in an ephemeral instant that we don’t have a chance to decide if our inner dialogue is legitimate.
Price:
Price on request
Pandemic in The Narcissistic Scenario
Acrylic and oil on canvas,
27 X 32 X inch
The COVID-19 Pandemic forced many of us to admit to our vulnerabilities, whether they be our inner selves or our career. On the other hand, pandemic empowered people turned themselves into “scientists” via Google for guidance and reassurance. Whether politicians, engineers, journalists, or citizens, all turned into “scientists”, as if science was their expertise. Doctors and scientists became symbols of hope, media stars, and cult figures. From one point of view this is understandable, as heroes inspire us and bring us together at times when unity is desperately needed.
However, as a scientist myself, I suffered one of the most significant emotional pressures ever: the feeling of neglecting my children by not being at home, or the extra hours of work I had to do to make the scientific reports ready to submit to the medical journals. After all, for those doctors who were treating patients with COVID-19, such treatment depended on those reports from real scientists, not just “heroes,” just to name a few.
There was a social responsibility that was growing larger and larger. As time passed during the early COVID Era, I was beckoned to understand what happened first in Wuhan in 2019 and then to write my “if-then" statement where I could identify the possible variables involved with that and their expected relationship. At the same time, I had to be as assured and as fastidious as possible in my statement because I knew that “honest errors” had no place in those reports, due to the limited capacity to correct them.
Meanwhile, within that narcissistic scenario of pseudo-scientists discovering an answer and seeing one's own portrait spread worldwide as a hero or pointing out someone to blame, I continued bravely researching the COVID disease, struggling with my own weakness, and living inside the same prison bars that everyone found themselves in. I had to live with the weight of the responsibility of truth without the bias of vanity along with the fear of the responsibility of freeing myself from death.
I was not the hero nor the scientist. My feeling was that in fact I was the “impostor,” who made the exhaustive analysis of the lungs’ scars of COVID-19 patients. I was part of the risk group for having TB in the past, and would much rather have stayed at home where I felt safe! Oh, to my dismay, I let the mouse escape but still wore the white cape of hero. I am Dr. PESSANHA who realized that heroism is an ideal that few of us can live up to.
Price:
Price on request
Secretive,
oil pastel
20 X 16 X inch
This is an artistic representation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their features.
ASD is a cognitive variation with atypical sensory-based behaviors. These behaviors are defined clinically by impairment in communication, social interaction, and behavioral flexibility. The symbols in the painting represent the jargon and complex words some people with autism may present. Sensory modulation challenges in autism can create difficulties in various settings, such as crowded places, classrooms, or workplaces, where overwhelming sensory stimuli may trigger sensitivities or seeking behaviors. These environments can affect the individual’s ability to focus or engage in tasks.
Scientific research has suggested that the process of forming actin filaments, a process essential for axons and dendrites development, is compromised in ASD. This process might lead to neuronal abnormalities; in this painting, represented in red.
Price:
Price on request
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