Research Entry #2

The Power of Illustrative Representation

(Published Feb. 12th, Edited Feb. 13th)

    This entry's focus is on Chidiebere Ibe, a Nigerian medical student recognized for creating inclusive medical illustrations. He went viral in 2021 for creating an illustration of a Black pregnant woman. Historically, medical textbooks have defaulted to white representations for anatomical studies. This is a dangerous practice, as it often leaves practitioners unprepared to identify conditions on darker skin tones. Since this viral illustration, he has expanded his portfolio through the Illustration Change project, which features medical illustrations of people of color. His recent work covers conditions as they appear on darker skin tones, including atopic dermatitis, lupus, and breast cancer. In relation to my project, I can use representation as a tool for validation and world-building.

Chidiebere Ibe's Black Fetus Illustration

    To further this research, I also looked into the Mind the Gap handbook by Malone Mukwende. Mukwende is a British medical student originally from Zimbabwe. He became a global advocate for medical equity after identifying critical faults in how doctors are trained to recognize symptoms in patients of color. This resource complements Ibe's illustrations by providing a guide to clinical signs on black and brown skin. Together, these resources highlight a systemic gap where the absence of diverse imagery leads to a lack of empathy and understanding in professional fields.

    While my project occupies the realm of fantasy rather than medicine, Ibe's work serves as a vital source of inspiration for intentional world-building. Like medical textbooks use a white-default to define "normal" anatomy, the fantasy genre frequently uses a white-default to define "magical" or "noble" archetypes. If I illustrate diverse skin tones and body types, I support the idea that these identities are worth being magical.

Sources:

• "Deloitte Launches 'Illustrate Change' Medical Illustration Library." Practical Dermatology, 20 June 2023, practicaldermatology.com.
• "Medical Student in the UK Creates Handbook of Clinical Signs on Darker Skin." The Hospitalist, 17 July 2020, community.the-hospitalist.org/2020/07/17/medical-student-in-the-uk-creates-handbook-of-clinical-signs-on-darker-skin/.