I Turn Science Into Art

My Textbook Illustrations Help Educate the Next Generation of Biologists, Doctors, and Physicists

I graduated from art school in a muddle. All I’d ever really wanted to do was draw, and I had done so on every sheet of paper that came within range of my pencil. But suddenly, it all felt very self-indulgent. I felt I should do something meaningful with my art and somehow give something back. I sincerely believe in the intellectual value of art in our culture, but I was looking for something more concrete. What could I do with my art to really make the world a better …

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The Hmong Dolls We Lost, and the Story I Found | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

The Hmong Dolls We Lost, and the Story I Found

I Couldn’t Save These Hand-Sewn Heirlooms From a Fire, But I Could Preserve Their History—And Maybe Even Part of My Heritage

The dolls were a seemingly trivial loss in the larger scheme of what went up in smoke when a fire burned through my neighborhood in the summer of 2020.

My family …

tktk | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Squirreled Away

Artist and illustrator Giulia Donati works under the moniker Pennepasta. Born in Italy and now based in London, she creates her pieces with calligraphy brush and India ink. For her …

Tropical Divine | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Tropical Divine

Miriam Castillo is an illustrator, graphic designer, and muralist who divides her time between New York City and the Mexican Caribbean.

Castillo draws upon her favorite climate—the tropics—for this month’s Sketchbook. …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Void Dwellers

Kethevane Cellard is a Paris-based artist who works primarily with ink drawing and wood. She is renowned for her monochrome, free-floating drawings and sculptures defined by the play of light …

The World Inside a Giant Erlenmeyer Flask | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

The World Inside a Giant Erlenmeyer Flask

Cecilia Gutiérrez García is an illustrator and designer from Seville, Spain. Her work combines traditional drawing techniques with bold digital colors. In her free time, she likes to read, browse …