Sub-cellular explorations turned into art

A year-long collaboration between an artist who survived cancer and a scientific imaging expert has resulted in a series of stunning artworks that will be on show on Friday, November 2 at The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

Joannah Underhill's work, created with the support of Dr Nick Hamilton and John Griffin from the IMB, explores the visual molecular changes in the body that occur in health and disease. It was part of the young artist's way of processing her experience with cancer.

"I'm a very visual person, so when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was trying to imagine what my cells would look like as they changed in response to the disease," Ms Underhill said.

"There's something profoundly moving about looking at part of yourself down the microscope, or observing processes that occur in your body,” she said.

Dr Hamilton’s research involves developing methods of analysing scientific images.

"It's a unique visual world we have available to us at IMB and I've always thought artists could interpret and make sense of our images in a very different way from scientists," Dr Hamilton said.

The collaboration was named one of the Ten Most Innovative in the country by The Australian newspaper.

Both original artworks and prints will be available for sale on the day, with proceeds from the sales of the prints going towards the IMB.

More of Ms Underhill’s work and dates of other exhibitions can be viewed at http://www.jounderhill.com

'Envisaging the Invisible: A Sub-Cellular Life' reception will be held from 5-7pm on Friday the 2nd of November in the Auditorium Foyer of the Queensland Bioscience Precinct.

Please register to attend at http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/reception for catering purposes.

Media: IMB Communications, 07 3346 2134