Liu Cheng Xuan

Theme: Our Transformative Journey

Merit, School Category, 2023

Artist statement:

“A Journey” features a car escaping from a monster which is made out of the things people experienced when they have kidney failure. A monster represents how scary it can be with an unhealthy kidney and not knowing when you can receive a healthy one. The monsters have teeth and tongues which symbolises how having kidney failure sucks and eats away one’s life. It consists of a dialysis machine, needle, an unhealthy kidney, E. coli (the bacteria that causes kidney failure) and blood bags used during the process. Blue is a colour that represents sadness, which shows how lonely and awful the process is. Red represents happiness and strength, which shows how people with kidney failure have a strong will to go through so much pain. This shows how people who received a kidney can once again experience joy. The organ recipient is driving the car along with a healthy kidney which shows that he is doing things he could not do before with an unhealthy kidney. The objects in front show the things they can do after having a healthy kidney. Activities include contact sports like basketball, hockey, drinking canned soup and water. Going from the colour blue to red shows how receiving a kidney can impact someone’s life and they no longer have to suffer in that dark and solemn place anymore. Although the road is full of rocks and bumps, it shows that one can experience joy and freedom once again with the help of others no matter what obstacles they face. Thus, this drawing shows the journey of having kidney failure to receiving a healthy kidney.

About the Artist

Liu Cheng Xuan, 15
Fuhua Secondary School