“Even before I knew about medical visualization, my heart was already in it—literally.”
Back in High School: Where It All Started
My very first animation of the human heart wasn’t in a fancy 3D software or under a microscope.
It was in high school, with a camera, some handmade props, and a whole lot of patience.
I was part of the International Baccalaureate Visual Arts program (I know, a mouthful 😅), where we had to exhibit six original pieces for our final showcase. And that’s when I made my first-ever stop-motion animation—centered around the human heart.
The Concept: A Heart That Closes
The theme of my exhibition was “Decay”—explored in three layers:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Cultural
The stop-motion piece represented the emotional decay of the heart—what happens when we close it off after pain.
Here’s how the animation unfolded:
A hand gently places a handmade heart into a glass bowl
The camera slowly zooms in, frame by frame
The heart shrinks, curls inwards, and starts to look fragile— a darkness consumes it
And then, quietly… flowers begin to bloom around it
It was a metaphor for the emotional armor we build after heartbreak or trauma.
But at the end, flowers began to bloom around it—symbolizing healing, growth, and new beginnings.
The Bonus Piece: A Heart in Sculpture
Another piece in the same exhibition was a sculpture of a heart, made using acrylic on cotton.
It was raw, textured, and honest—less about anatomical precision and more about emotional resonance.
I didn’t realize it back then, but anatomy kept showing up in my art.
Not just as a subject, but as a language—something I used to tell stories.
Looking Back Now
It’s wild to think that my journey into Medical Visualization actually started back in that high school art studio—with stop-motion clay hearts and cotton sculptures.
Even before I knew what MedVis was…
Even before I knew people could build a career around combining art and anatomy…
I was already doing it in my own small way.
The heart has always fascinated me—not just as a symbol, but as a structure.
It pumps, it breaks, it heals.
And it tells stories.
Final Thoughts
Now that I’m diving into the world of MedVis, I see how my past is quietly connecting with my present.
What felt like “just school projects” at the time were actually the first steps in a journey I’m still walking.
And honestly? That makes me smile 🙂
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