Art in the Atrium

Artists among the Feinberg School community came together October 18–20 to display their works in the annual Art in the Atrium exhibit. Thirty artists, including 17 staff members and research associates, 5 medical students, 1 resident, and 7 faculty members, displayed works in media ranging from sculpture, photography, and drawings to watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings. Sponsored by the Feinberg School's Staff Relations Committee, the show was presented in the airy beauty of the Method Atrium and drew substantial crowds.

The Decorative Dragon by research associate Feng Chen, MD, was one of many eye-catching entries in Art in the Atrium.

Feng Chen, MD, research associate in the endocrinology division, used a technique that mixed oil paint with laquer to create The Decorative Dragon. A native of China who has been in the United States for 10 years and at the medical school since 1999, Dr. Chen says, "I learned the process from my father. It starts with a good piece of wood that must be very smooth. After drawing the picture, I mix the laquer with oil paint and apply it in four layers." Each layer requires a full day to dry before the next one can be applied.

After the background color was completed, he added words in Chinese characters. To achieve the golden dragon's bright, raised texture, he combined glitter with the lacquer. "Again, I applied layers to build it up," says Dr. Chen. "Dragons are the wisest and most auspicious of creatures according to ancient Chinese tradition. The painting depicts vividly the dragon full of vigor."

Several other artists used traditional oil on canvas, as did Evangeline Amargo in her work, The Orchid. She says, "I've always been fascinated by the beautiful oil paintings I've seen in museums, so I thought I'd buy some students' oil paints and try it. Orchids are my favorite flower—I have been fascinated with them since childhood. That's why I have a collection of orchids in my room and chose one as a model for my painting."

A lifelong fascination with orchids led Evangeline Amargo to attempt to capture their beauty in The Orchid, her entry in the annual art show.

A technician for the past five years in the laboratory of Kathy Green, PhD, Joseph L. Mayberry Sr. Professor of Pathology, Amargo had attended Art in the Atrium shows in the past, which inspired her to think about submitting a work of her own. Last year after repainting her apartment, she wanted to do a little extra redecorating and took the opportunity to try her hand at creating her own wall hangings using acrylic, watercolor, and oil paints. "The Orchid was my favorite piece, so I submitted that for the show," she says. "I also enjoy photography, especially nature photography, and may submit a photo for the next Art in the Atrium."

Taking a year off after college provided an opportunity for second-year medical student Krishna Amuluru, of Livingston, New Jersey, to take a sculpting class at a studio in Brooklyn, New York. Says Amuluru, "The two professors studied a classical style in Russia before starting their school here. They had a variety of anatomical models and books to review. It was almost like being in an anatomy class, which was cool, because I knew I going to medical school the following year."

To begin his Portrait of a Man, made from terra cotta clay and artificial stone, a professor handed him a model of a human skull and told him to sculpt it. The process started with a wire mesh ball that Amuluru covered with the clay from which he sculpted the skull. "After that was completed, I worked from what was essentially an anatomy book to add the layers of muscle and skin and the eyes," Amurulu explains. "Then I added the neck. Shaping the hair was the most difficult part.

In sculpting Portrait of a Man, Krishna Amuluru studied facial anatomy, which tied into his interest in medical school.

"At that point it was just a head looking at me," continues Amuluru, "so I looked through another book and decided I could make it appear to be stone." After applying more clay around the shoulders, he broke a brick in two and used the rough end of one piece to imprint the surface texture on the sculpture. The creation was then fired in a kiln. An aerosol spray coating and a sealant completed the color and feel of the artificial stone.

Amurulu says he enjoyed being in the show. "It was well organized, and I met some people with real talent," including fellow medical students.

The reception on the last day of Art in Atrium gave the artists a chance to meet others with similar interests to exchange stories and techniques and perhaps make a new friend or two. For those who attended the exhibit, the show provided a glimpse of their colleagues' lives outside of work.