Ivory Tower
Ivory Tower
The origin came from Dr Jack Underwood as we discussed scientists being seen as living in ivory towers, the reality of this is wonderfully different.
I’ve used symbolism as a shorthand to the nature of Jack’s work. A bee (dummy) – hard work; a boat (child’s plate) – journey; a bear – strength, courage. I’ve also played with iconography giving Jack’s daughter a halo of socks lit up with a computer screen rather than gold leaf.
I’ve included some of Jack’s personal items including a slightly broken old globe. It reflects the way the world thinks about these genetic diseases, often out of date, like the old map of the world.
The drawings highlight that when you look at graphs and academic papers, there are children and families struggling behind every data point. These portraits are named after 4 children with CACNA1C variants that recently passed away.
Artist – Naomi Tomkys OBE
Naomi grew up in London where she attended Central St. Martins. Her inspiration comes from the day-to-day moments that make her smile.
She has shown both nationally and internationally and is held in collections as far afield as Texas, Los Angeles and Dubai.
Scientist – Jack Underwood
Wellcome Trust GW4-CAT Clinical Research Fellow, NMHRI School of Medicine
Jack studies CACNA1C- related disorders like Timothy syndrome, working alongside the Timothy Syndrome Alliance to share knowledge, increase awareness and understand the variants involved towards treatments.