The Gift of Sight

My niece’s visual disadvantage has made me value the gift of sight even more. It prompted me to reflect on the true meaning of vision and realize the often overlooked and underappreciated nature of this ability.

Within three months of her birth, my little niece was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in both her eyes, leading to her first intravenous chemotherapy. Retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer affecting children under five, poses the risk of vision loss or even complete loss of an eye.

Fortunately for my niece, she was diagnosed very early and treatment was started immediately. Five years, many chemo, cryo and laser therapies later, she has been declared cancer-free. What’s left is (invisible) scar tissue in her eyes. She has 40% vision in her left eye and 8% in her right eye. It is described as having mushrooms or umbrellas on your eyeball that obscure your line of vision. The stems of the mushrooms or the poles of the umbrellas poking through the surface causing damage. 

Our family had the privilege of gaining a deeper understanding of her disability through interactions with a team of specialists. Although their simulations couldn’t replicate her exact experience, we learned about her challenges and the extraordinary effort her brain puts forth to compensate for the loss of data that healthy eyes naturally receive. It was a ‘fun’, as we made a mess of basic tasks, but informative and confronting day. The gift of sight is a precious gift, one that should not be taken for granted.

Inspired by my niece and things she and I talked about. I made a body of work that is about seeing and being seen. It is about small imperfections that you notice when your eyes travel across the paper. The colors are inspired by the rainbow, my favorite colors! Symbolically, the nine circles represent focusing on the positive and turning inward. I once asked my niece if she had ever seen a real rainbow in the sky. To my surprise, she fondly replied, ‘Yes, I saw one in grandpa’s garden.’ Although I find it hard to believe she actually saw it, considering her limited visual range, her genuine affection for her eyes, even the one with minimal vision, melted my heart.

‘The Gift of Sight’
This is a small collection of 9 pieces in different colors. All the lines are drawn with a dip pen in Cherry Red acrylic ink. Every piece has small details in gold leaf metal.

The Gift of Sight

Acrylic ink and details in gold leaf metal on
handmade cotton paper
21 x 21 cm with deckled edges